Kung Fu Panda A New Hero
by kristinalprime23
Summary: my version of ben's kung fu panda A new hero, I wanted to see a little more of his story but unfortunately his departure has belayed that so in honor of his story I will be remaking it. so please bare with me because if I make a mistake please let me know, oh before I forget please note that I will add a m rated chapter in for this story so please bare with me, thanks, the author.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and welcome reader. Let me begin by saying that this is my first fanfic so I'll do my best to try and keep you entertained as well as I can. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and I hope you enjoy it!**

 _Chapter 1: The arrival_

All I could see was darkness, then again that's all you usually see when your eyes are closed, anyway, I wasn't asleep that's for sure. It's like I'm awake but not awake, does that make sense? No? Well I don't know how else to describe it! I feel awake but I can't open my eyes. Christ, how did this happen?! All I can recall was me stumbling home after a night of drinking, passed out and then...this! When I tried to move I couldn't. Oh great, another thing to add to the list of crap I seem to be incapable of doing! Wait..I can't move, my eyes won't open and all I see is darkness.. you don't think I'am in a coma do you? Oh god, next thing you know I'll be waking up during a zombie epidemic but I'm sure I'm getting off track here. My questions and confusion were halted by a strange alluring sound that I was unable to see. So let me paint the picture, darkness, can't move blah, blah, blah and now there's an unfamiliar sound emanating from somewhere. I don't think you can blame me for..crapping myself. I tried calling out but I couldn't speak. 'Oh this is bad, this is really bad!' I thought.

The sound began to become intense and sounded like it was getting closer.

'Oh sweet mother of God, what the hells happening!' I thought panicky.

Now I started to really get frightened. It sounded so freaking close and I was seriously close to having a heart attack or something..but then the sound faded? It got close to my ear and yeah, it just seemed to have...faded.

'What ever the hell that was, I hope it's-'

My thought was interrupted by unwelcoming, bold voices.

'It is you' it spoke inside my mind. It. Just. SPOKE! Oh dear Christ, what in the name of everything that's unholy. 'It' was the only way to describe whatever the hell this was. It sounded like several voices overlapping one another so it was rather difficult to determine its gender. Perhaps it was both? But right now I couldn't give a rats ass.

'W-who, who the hell are y-you?!' I said panicky in my mind.

'It' offered no response to my question but instead just continued from where it left off.

'You are the one. You are the one chosen. To fulfill your destiny'

'Destiny? Chosen? What are you talking about and who the hell are you? What the hell is all this?!'

My outburst went ignored as 'It' just became silent. A short moment past as I felt my fingers twitch and I began to get back the feeling in my eyes. They fluttered open halfway then immediately widened to the sight before me. I wish I could say I was looking at my apartment, I really would, but that was not the case. I wasn't even lying in my bed. In fact I don't think I was lying down at all, or standing. I seemed to be floating in...space? Yeah, space or something along the lines of that. The sky was coated in a variety of different colors but the colors that stood of from the rest were red, blue and green and frankly, it was quite a beautiful sight.

Why do I seem so calm describing my surroundings? Because now I know this isn't a dream. It's a nightmare. It had to be! It feels like I'm awake but this can't be real. I mean come on that's jus-

"Now, go"

I gasped when I saw the sky flicker as it spoke. The sky was speaking to me?! But...how..what the hell..ughh. I began to feel a little strange almost...woozy.

I was completely unprepared for what happened next. The most accurate way to describe it was me being flung at about oh...let's say 100mph in downward direction. I panicked, screamed and pretty much anything else you'd do in a frightening situation, I kept falling until eventually the colorful sky started to fade and everything became blank white and not before long I blacked out.

"Uhhh...Jesus Christ" I moaned aloud. God damn my whole body felt like it was hit by a wrecking ball.

With whatever strength I could gather, I pushed against the ground with all my might trying to push myself up. Unfortunately, my body failed me and collapsed back to the cold ground.

'I don't remember it being so cold inside of my apartment' I thought. My eyes shot open only to be introduced to the sight of snow raining down from the night sky...wait a second.

My eyes widened as I began to pivot my head left and right quickly as I left out a gasp.

I was no longer in my apartment. I was no longer in the street of where I lived. I was in god knows where.

'No, no, no, no this isn't real il-l wake up any second now this will all just be a dream'

I began furiously rubbing my eyes in hope that this was all my imagination. But dear God, it felt so real. The cold, the snow. NO! It couldn't be real! It makes no sense. How is this possible?!

My breaths became shaky as I shook my head in disbelief. All this must be the result of a nightmare or..something! There's just-this CAN'T be real.

I began looking around once again. Nothing seemed familiar. I appeared to be in on a road or a path that was beginning to become a blanket of snow. I was unable to see further beyond it due to the condition of the weather. The snow itself was coming down furiously due to the fact that it was joined by a large gush of harsh wind. I shuddered at how cold it was becoming.

'I need to find someone or something and figure out what the hell's going on' I thought. I pushed against the ground once again except this time I managed to get to my feet and began to follow the path with my arms wrapped around myself.

I'm not sure how long I've been walking but during that time my mind was buried in deep thought. So many questions were clouding my mind. The last thing I remember was passing out in my apartment. So why was I outside? Maybe I didn't get inside my apartment. Even if I didn't, why was it snowing in the middle of summer?!

I slowly raised my head with my eyes squinted trying to see beyond the snowy mist. I felt my heart leap to sight of a faint light in the distance.

'Oh thank God' I thought as quickened my pace.

The faint light started to become more and more clear until soon enough it was joined by more rays of light. I just hope they're coming from a house in a village or town, somewhere I could take shelter.

I was now near what appeared to be a town of some sort. I couldn't see much so entered the town in hope that someone would take me in. The lights that I had seen earlier turned out to be...hanging lanterns? Yeah that's definitely what they were, there seemed to be hanging over a different number of houses and they looked Chinese. Now I knew I definitely wasn't anywhere near where I lived. Did I end up in Chinatown or something?

I approached what looked like a small house. It's windows and doors seemed to have a Chinese decor with that curved roof that most Chinese buildings usually have. Light was shinning through the windows and the door.

After standing outside the house for a short while, I heard what sounded like snow crunching. I turned only to see an approaching figure making its way towards the house I was now next to.

I quickly hid behind the corner of the house and waited to see who was approaching. I peeked around the corner and saw figure step into the light that was provided from the lanterns above. What I saw next left me in complete shock.

Ether my brain wasn't processing what I was seeing correctly or...I'm seeing a...pig walking on two legs.

My eyes widened and my mouth was opened ajar. Im sorry did see that right? A pig walking on two legs? Walking-two legs-moving like a human? WHAT?!

No words or any logic could sum up any more than how I just described it. No matter how many amount of times I blinked the image remained the same. I mean a pig is walking like a HUMAN? This is just..fricking nuts! I was seriously in shock at what I was seeing.

I shook my head trying to stay focused. Not only was he walking he seemed to be wearing clothes. He was wearing a cap of some sort. He was also wearing a lime green robe with black trimmings. He knocked on the door then began to blow air into his hooves and then shuddered. Shortly after the door opened. But there didn't seem to be anyone th-

"Huan, what are doing here? the snows coming down like crazy out there!"

My eyes lowered and introduced to the sight of a small rabbit wearing a brown vest that covered his torso and lower body greeting the pig at the door. Not only is there now a rabbit standing on two feet but it just SPOKE ENGLISH! No person alive could be able to comprehend what was just transpiring.

"I just around to give you this back" replied the pig as he handed the rabbit what appeared to be a ring. "you left it behind the other day"

The rabbit inspected to ring before he said "Oh thank god, I was wondering where that was, the wife would kill me If she found it this was missing" he then took the ring. "Come on inside, you must be freezing" he stepped beside and the pig enter the rabbits home, after he shut the door behind him.

I placed my back against the wall slowly sliding to the ground. I...I couldn't believe what I've just witnessed. Was my eyes playing tricks? Was it all my imagination? It had to be, this couldn't be real!

I just sat there trying to process what was happening. I felt a little lightheaded and felt like I was gonna faint or get sick or something. I wasn't sure what I was suppose to do now. It was still snowing like hell and it was fricking freezing. Was I really gonna ask talking rabbit or pig for shelter? How would they react to a human? Wait...what if there are humans here? I couldn't go around around to every house, knocking on every door expecting to find another human. God, I don't know what to do.

I think I was sitting here too long as I was beginning to became buried beneath the snow. I got to my feet and blew into my hands once again. I stood there freezing my ass off. Just then out of know where I heard a loud commotion coming from further in the town. After pondering wether or not to proceed into town, I went with my gut and began to investigate where the sound was coming from.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: a place to rest your head_

I was now approaching what I assumed was the centre of town, eventually the sound I heard earlier began to became more clearer to hear. So clear that the sound of something being broken ran through my eardrums.

'What the hell?' I thought as I began to guide my way through the blizzard towards the strange sounds.

Though the blizzard I could make out a very bright ray of light coming from a building just up ahead. As I started to approach the building I began to make out voices.

"Just great! First it begins to snow like hell so we can't get out of here. Then you two show up and make things worse!" echoed voice from the building.

As I got closer I noticed the door the the building was left open. I pressed my back up against wall next to the door and peaked in only to witness a strange sight.

Inside there appeared to be a tall bird wearing a straw hat and blue pants. It's neck was black and his body was white. His wings were also white except at the tip were it change to a grey to black color. Beside it there was a green snake with a black pattern on the top half of its back while the other half was a brown pattern and a black tail. It had what looked like two lotus flowers on it's head. Beyond them stood a cougar wearing a blue vest, black pants and was holding large battle age. It's fur was a light brown color with a light tan pattern on its head. On both sides of him there was a wolf and a cheetah. The wolf was wearing a black tunic, black pants and was holding a curved sword. His fur was a dark grey color with a hint of black. The cheetah wore a brown vest with sleeves along with brown pants and was dual wielding daggers. He looked like how any cheetah would look like except for a scar running down his mouth. Looking around inside there was a variety of items from food to everyday supplies. Most were set on display so I would assume this was a general store of something. The shop keeper looked like a duck peeking over the counter.

"Really, Juan? This again? I thought we told you to never come back here" said the tall avian.

The cougar, who I assumed was the one called Juan, replied "Oh shut up you stupid bird, you don't tell us what to do!"

"We already took one of you out. So just make it easier on yourselves and give up now" said the snake and by her voice I assumed was female.

The cougar growled. "and we especially don't get told what to do by some little bitch" the cougar spat back.

The snake hissed. She then suddenly leapt into the air and brought her tail down hard smashing the cougars head into the ground. A loud echo ran through the shop as his axe hit the ground.

The cougar groaned as his companions sprung into action. They began to swing their weapons wildly at the bird and snake. The snake and bird however began to parry their attacks. Constantly ducking, Dodging and attacking.

While the fight continued I heard what sounded like a faint moan coming from further inside the shop. My eyes darted right to the site of a table broke in two with a broken vase with flowers and soil on the ground. But what really caught my eye was another wolf picking himself up from between the broken table clenching his head and then shook it. He looked the same as the other wolf except his clothing was different. He was wearing a light grey vest with sleeves and black silk paints with a waist wrap. He appeared to have a quiver on his back. His eyes locked with the bird and snake. He bent down and began to pick something from the ground. He raised his arm to reveal a bow in his hand. I gasped as began to remove and arrow from his quiver and raised his bow and began to ready the arrow on the string on the bow

'Shit, what should do!?' I thought in panic. If I didn't do something the snake or bird could be killed!. Should I just jump in and help them? It would seem like the right thing to do , but these guys are armed to the teeth and I'm not exactly a black belt in karate. Dammit what to I do!? The thought of leaving someone for dead didn't exactly sit right with me, so there was only one option. I just know I'm going to regret this.

I took a deep breath and rushed in. I sprinted towards the wolf as he readied to fire only the tilt his head towards me. I leapt towards him locking my arms around him as we both began descending to the ground. But not before his arrow released.

"Look out!" I warned the duo. The bird spun around only to duck and his hat impaled and stuck to the wall behind him. He then turned back to me and we both stared at one other.

But not for long as I was tossed over the wolf and he scurried to his feet and began to look me over in confusion. I quickly got to my feet and faced him.

He growled as he raised his fists. "You really think you can take me? Let's see how tough you really are, freak!" he taunted.

I raised my fists and readied myself.

'Was this seriously happening right now?' I thought.

My answer; a punch to the face.

'Guess so'

I threw a punch back catching the wolf right in the nose hard. As he began to clench in nose in pain, I quickly began to throw punches to his sides which were left open and then gave a hard kick to the gut. The wolf wheezed but quickly recovered and wildly began to punch, lashing out furiously. Only managing to block a few punches but he eventually landed a hit to my chest. I stumbled back coughing. As he raised his fist preparing for a finishing blow, but before he could I grabbed his paw and twisted his arm, kicking the back of his leg bringing to his knees. I then wrapped my arm his neck holding him down as he began kicking and attempting to pull my arm from around his neck but his actions were futile as his struggle soon became weaker until I eventually the hold knocked him unconscious.

As I removed my arm from his neck, his body cell forward colliding to the ground with a loud thud. I wiped my lip gathering some blood as I did so.

"Wow, you handled yourself pretty well" came a voice from behind me and sounded like the bird. I turned to face the bird and snake. Behind them were the wolf, cheetah and cougar lying on the ground moaning in pain.

"Um..thanks" was all I could say. Honestly, I wasn't sure what else to say.

"It's not often someone would throw themselves like that into danger. That was quite brave of you" commented the snake.

"Well, I wasn't just gonna let him kill one of you" I replied.

The avian turned and pulled his hat off the wall and removed the arrow from it. "Glad you came in when you did, otherwise this arrow wouldn't have just gone through my hat" he said as he threw the arrow aside and place his hat back on his head.

The snake turned to the shop keeper "are you alright, miss?" she asked concerned.

The duck rose from behind the counter and replied "I'am now. Oh thank you, thank you so much"

"Looks like it's off to prison for you guys" the bird said looking down at cougar.

"Oh screw y-" the cougar was cut off as the snake brought her tail down once again knocking him out.

After the situation was dealt with, the bird and snake alerted the local authorities, or guard in this case, and they arrived take the four...bandits I guess you could call em, to prison.

The guards were mostly rhinos. Their clothing consisted of a green and red shirt with a brown belt. They were equipped with spears.

While they were putting the bandits in shackles, another feline entered the building. He had a average build and was quite tall. He wore slightly more armour than the rhinos. His fur was a jet black colour. I would guess that he was a panther.

"They will be kept in cells overnight and then will be brought to Chorh-Gom first thing in the morning" the panther explained.

"Alright, thanks you" the snake replied.

The panther smiled. "If anyone should be thanked, it should be you. Goodnight masters" he bowed slightly before turning and leaving.

"Guess we should head back up to the Jade Palace" the bird said to the snake before turning to me, "and thanks again. Pretty sure I wouldn't be standing here if you didn't step in"

"Um..no problem" I replied

"I hope you can get home safely in this weather" said the snake.

"I don't think I'll be getting home anytime soon" I replied in an almost hushed tone.

The snake cocked her head."What do you mean?" she asked.

"I'm..not from around here" I replied.

"You just arrived into town?" the avian asked. I just nodded in response.

"And you have nowhere to stay?" the snake added. I nodded once again in response.

The bird and snake shared a glance and didn't say anything until they turned back to me.

"Well considering the circumstances, we could bring you back up to the Jade palace and maybe you could spend the night" the bird said.

"It's better than sleeping outside" the snake added with a cheery smile.

I don't have a choice really. Well I do but I doubt I'm too keen on becoming a snowman. This felt strange though. Don't think anyone's ever offered this much kindness to me before, and the fact that it's coming talking animals just makes this all feel just so unreal. And why shouldn't it? I'm pretty sure if I explained to someone what happened in the last hour or so, they'd have put a mental hospital.

I shook my head slightly trying to focus on realty.

"Well I don't really have anywhere else to go. Thank you" I replied.

"Come on then, We'll lead the way. Try to stay close" the snake said as she and the bird turned to leave but turned she back once more "By the way my name is Viper and that's Crane" she said gesturing her tail towards the bird.

"I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you" I replied.

So we left the store and began to push through the snowy blizzard. I had no idea where I was going so I stuck close to the snake and b— well Viper and Crane, as they led me towards the 'Jade palace' which I assumed where we were going since Crane had mentioned returning there after the bandits had been dealt with. We eventually came to a set of steps that I couldn't really see where it led due to the snow.

"It gonna be quite a climb, I hope your ready" Viper said but with a raised voice so I could hear her more clearly. I merely just nodded with a shiver as we began to climb the steps. And climbed and climbed and, yep you guessed it climbed. I swear it felt like that part in super Mario 64 when you try to climb the stairs to get to the last level but don't have enough stars.

I mental slapped myself. I mean, really? That the first thing that came to mind? Not 'how far?' or 'I hope we get arrive there soon.' I'm such an idiot. But seriously we've been climbing these steps for so long, I think I'm gonna get frost bite or something.

"Alright we're almost there" Viper said.

Well speak of the devil. We finally reached the top of the steps. I began to breath heavily. The cold was entering and exiting my mouth fast.

"We better head to the training hall and see of master Shifu is still there" Crane said to Viper.

"Alright let's go then" she replied.

I hadn't a clue who this 'Shifu' guy was. Maybe the guy who owns this place? So we continued to walk for a short while up more steps and walked a large building which appeared to have columns with golden dragons looped around each one. I could go on to greater detail about the building but the weather wasn't exactly making it easy to see. Eventually after walking for a while we reached another building. We came face to face with two large wooden doors. When we enter I was greeted to a walled courtyard and equipment scattered around as well as numerous plants. There also seemed to be a a tree on the right side of the courtyard. We climbed the steps that led into the building and I followed behind as Crane and Viper open the doors to reveal what was inside. There seems to be strange looking equipment or devices inside. The closest to me looked like logs shaped like a serpent on the ground with hanging wooden clubs hanging above them. One side of each club was a blunt side while the other was imbedded with spikes. Beyond that there looked like what seemed the be a large green bowl that resembled a turtles shell as there seemed be tiny arms and feet on it. Ahead of that stood studded, wooden dummies. There were all aligned and there were four rows of them. They also appeared to have numerous arms coming out of them. And beyond that there a small, squared metal floor with holes on it. I was unsure what it was. And finally hanging from the ceiling the appeared to be hanging rings spread out so one could...swing on them I suppose. What was most noticeable though was that most of the equipment was in use. On the logs that seemed to spin there was a tiger leaping from one to the other while avoiding the clubs that continuously began to swing back and forth. The tiger appeared to be female. She was wearing a red vest with golden vine pattern on it and it had black trims. She also wore black silk pants with a waist wrap and what looked like footpads. She looked like...well a tiger. Not much else I could say except I was surprised to see a tiger so up close without it trying to hunt me down. But seeing how animals act around here, maybe she'll be friendly like Viper or Crane. There seemed to be something passing quickly through the wooden dummy's by it was hard to see what. How I could make out was a small green blur flying past the dummies causing their arms to spin rapidly. The rings hanging from the ceiling by being used my a monkey. He was swinging from one to another and managed to squeeze through one with ease. His fur was a light tan colour and his face, hands and feet were black. He wore no top but striped brown pants and brown wrist bracers. But there was another animal here as well. It was small looking...raccoon thing standing by the wooden logs that the tiger was using and seemed to be watching the other animals. Its appearance, however seem to resemble a red panda. It was holding what looked like a stick or flute behind its back. It wore a orange and brown robe. Much like its robe, it's fur was orange and brown except it was white as well. If I were to guess I would assume that he was this 'Shifu' guy. I don't he's a raccoon though.

"I'll go and tell him about what's going on" Crane explained. I watched as he approached the small panda as he stop and balled up one wing and placed into into the other and bowed. "Master Shifu" he spoke up.

The small panda turned and faced Crane before replying.

"You have returned. I assume the matter in the village has been dealt with?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, master. But may I speak with you a moment" Crane replied

Before Shifu replied he turned his head and his eyes locked onto me. "Who is this" he asked rather sternly.

"That's what I wanted to talk about. If we could.." Crane replied raising his wing, gesturing to move a little further from us. The small panda walked with Crane further from the equipment and from me and Viper and began to listen to Crane explain what was going on.

I sat down next to the door as I began to catch my breath.

"I take it you're not used to climbing that many steps" Viper asked slithering up next to me.

"No. And just thinking about how many steps there were is going to give me nightmares" I replied

Viper chuckled and we both watched the conversation taking place between Crane and Shifu.

"Listen I...really appreciate you taking me in like this" I said.

She smiled " Of course, it wouldn't have been right just to have left you there. Besides I think you've earned it for saving Cranes life. Not many people would throw themselves into a dangerous situation like that. That was heroic of you"

"I'm just glad your friend is okay" I replied. "Who were those guys anyway"

Viper rolled her eyes "Just some lowlifes who believe themselves to be bandits. More of a nuisance really. They started threatening some of the villagers, every time we show up they take off running in the opposite direction"

"With those moves you pulled off, I'm not surprised" I said.

She smiled once again "You weren't too bad yourself" she replied

"I'm no martial artist, but I know how to handle myself" I stated.

As we continued to converse, we were soon approached by the monkey that was swinging on the rings but there also seemed to be a tiny green bug and his shoulder. If I were to guess, I would say he was a praying mantis. He must have been to green blur dashing passed the wooden dummies.

"Hey Viper, did you bring back one of the bandits for interrogation or something?" the mantis asked.

"No Mantis, he's not a bandit. This is Ben. He helped us deal with the bandits and even saved Cranes life" Viper replied.

"Wait, really? What the heck happened down there?" he asked.

"Well when Crane and I arrived down at the valley the bandits from last time were there. They were trying to rob the general store, but we both stepped in and Crane threw Dao through table and thats when hell broke loose. We tried get them to surrender but they tried to fight us instead. While we were busy fighting, Dao recovered and was ready to fire an arrow in the back of Cranes head. That's where Ben stepped in. He took down Dao and his arrow missed Cranes head by inches. After we finished dealing with them, we alerted the guards, they came and took them to the cells at the barracks" Viper explained.

"Damn, nice going man. Thanks for saving Cranes ass" the small bug said.

"Heh yeah, no problem" I replied.

"So why did you bring him up here?" the monkey asked Viper.

"He just arrived in the valley and has no place to stay. I figured we could ask Master Shifu of he could spend the night" Viper replied.

"I'm not sure Master Shifu is going to be keen on turning this place into a bed and breakfast" Mantis said, obviously joking.

"Come on Mantis, I'm sure Master Shifu wouldn't be that heartless as to turn him away, especially after what he did" the monkey said to the small green bug.

"I suppose. And it is just for the night so I guess he might be on board" Mantis said averting his gaze. We followed his gaze which was set upon Crane and Shifu.

My eyes fell upon the tiger, who still seemed to be using the equipment. For a brief moment she peeked over her shoulder and examined me, before ignoring me and continuing using the equipment.

When I turned back to the conversation taking place between the two animals, it soon ended and they began to walk over to us. When they did the tiger leaped off the spinning logs and stood beside the small panda with her arms behind her back. One thing noticed was the expression on her face it was rather...stern and almost emotionless. And honestly it was kinda..frightening.

The small panda cleared his throat before speaking "Crane has informed me what has occurred down at the valley. He has also told me you have just arrived in the valley and currently have to place to spend the night. Given the circumstances, I suppose we could allow you to spend the night here" he said.

"Um, thank you sir" I replied.

"Now if you'll follow the rest, they will bring to the barracks where you will be sleeping. I would like you to be up in the morning when to morning with the rest when gong is rung. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure" I replied.

"Good. Now I suggest you all proceed to the barracks and get some sleep" he said before turning and leaving.

So we left as well and headed for the barracks which was and battled through the harsh weather once more and eventually arrived at our destination.

"Damn, didn't know the weather was THAT bad" Mantis said shivering.

"At least we're out of it now" Monkey had said heading inside the building (he had told me his name when we were heading towards the barracks)

"Well, goodnight guys" Mantis said heading to into his room I'd assume. Soon after the rest of them headed to different rooms except for Viper.

"Come on I'll show you which room you'll be staying in" She said slithering down the hall. I followed her and she lead me to the room opposite to the tigers. She open the doors the revel what was inside. The room was quite small and and very little in it. There was a small bed with a set of drawers next to it. On the drawers there was an unlit candle with a box of matches next to it.

"Thank you, Viper" I said.

She smiled once again "No problem. Goodnight" she said heading back down the hall to her own room.

I headed inside and closed the doors behind me. I sat on the bed and I rubbed face before resting it on my forehead. I was lost for words. Everything that happened today just...just God I don't even know how to begin. My mind was still not convinced that all this was real. Talking animals? I mean did I really see talking animals? I laid down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling with my mind trying to figure out if all this was real or not. I sighed and closed my eyes.

'Hopefully I'll wake up and this will all be a dream' I thought has I began to drift off the sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: your training begins

I started hearing my name being called through my mind, like an echo in a hallway. My eyes began to open slowly and the image of an unfamiliar room came into view.

"Hey Ben. Ben! Come on get up man" I heard a familiar voice. It sounded like...Mantis's.

I brought my hands to my face and grunted slightly. Im still here? God, it wasn't a dream. There really is talking animals! Either that, or I've gone insane.

I sat up and stretched my arms. I yawned and got up and turned to see Monkey and Mantis by the door. Mantis was once again on Monkeys shoulder. I rubbed my eyes and approached them.

"Shifu wasn't too pleased when you didn't get up for the morning gong" Monkey said.

"Sorry, I was really tired" I replied in an apologetic tone.

"Come on let's go get breakfast. Hopefully Viper has finished making it" Mantis said as Monkey turned to leave and I followed behind.

When we stepped outside I shielded my eyes from the morning sun. Defiantly a more preferable weather than last nights. It was much easier to see and my god, what a sight. We were so high up and the sight was just...beautiful. High mountains with the buildings standing proud with the sun shining down on the mountain causing a warm feeling to grow inside me. Despite the sun out shining, there was still a bitter cold out. Eventually reach another building which was probably the kitchen. A sweet aroma filled the air as we entered the building. When reach a set of doors a looked into to see what was inside. The kitchen had a table with chairs set around it and the tiger and Crane seemed to be sitting down eating two different types of food. The tiger seemed to be eating what looked like small, cubed pieces of tofu or something like that with a pair of chopsticks. Crane on the other hand was eating something out of a bowl with a spoon. From the aroma I few minutes ago I would assume it was porridge, which I love. To the right, I saw Viper by a stove. She was stirring something in a pot, probably the porridge.

Viper turned and noticed us and smiled "Hey guys. Grab a bowl and I'll pour some porridge in" she said reaching for a ladle. I noticed four bowls on counter next to the stove. Mantis jumped off Monkeys shoulder and onto the counter. He picked up a bowl and Viper poured in some porridge.

"Maybe you won't try to poison me this time" Mantis joked, which in response, Viper shot him daggers and hissed. He then headed to the table at an incredible speed. Most likely to try and avoid getting his ass kicked. Monkey then grabbed a bowl and Viper pour him some porridge. He inhaled through his nose taking the smell from his bowl and smiled.

"Oh that smells incredible. Thanks Viper" he said before heading to the table. And finally I grabbed a bowl and Viper poured porridge in it. I could already feel the bottom of the bowl heating up as the smell entered my nostrils.

"Thank you Viper" I said as I joined the rest at the table. Shortly afterwards Viper filled a bowl for herself and sat beside Crane. As we started eating, Mantis, immediately after one spoonful, sighed.

"Nothing like the food on the Winter feast" he said, with sadness in his voice. I then saw Monkey roll his eyes while Viper seemed rather annoyed.

"Same thing ever year" she mumbled.

"I can't help it! Every year it comes around with food so tasty, you could just cry. I swear I can hear it taunting me right now" he said.

"It's been two weeks since the feast, just move on and wait till next year" Crane said.

"What's the 'winter feast'?" I asked confused.

Mantis, Crane and Viper turned towards with bewildered Expressions. I was kinda regretting asking that question.

"Wait, you've never heard of the Winter feast? The Holiday where every master from every province, gather for a big feast?" Mantis asked, almost surprised that I've never heard of this feast. I merely just shook my head.

"Wow, you're really not from here are you? You must have lived really far away of you've never heard of the Winter feast" Crane said, as he continued to eat his porridge.

"So how far away are you from home?" Viper asked

"I'm..not sure. Where I'm I exactly?" I asked.

"Well right now you're in the Jade Palace which is in the Valley of Peace" she said. I raised a brow in confusion. "South of Chongqing?" I still had confusion plastered on my face. "Um...China?" my eyes widened. C-C-China! Oh my God! I'm in fricking China! How the hell did I get here?! Mother of God, first there's taking animals, now I'm not even in my own country. I feel...strange.

"Hey Ben, you okay? Surely Vipers cooking isn't that bad" Mantis said, Viper then proceeded to smack him in the back of the head.

"I'm..fine, just surprised I travelled to far" I replied

"You looked like you were gonna vomit or something. You sure it wasn't-" Mantis was about to finish his sentence until he saw Vipers tail hovering over his head "Uh..never mind"

"Yeah, don't worry I'm good" I said, trying my best not to look too suspicious.

"Well if you say so. Anyway we should head to the training hall now. And you should come to Ben. Master Shifu would like to speak with you" Crane said, as he got up to leave. The rest followed and I came behind last. So we started heading towards the training hall and was deep in my thoughts while the rest conversed.

"I wasn't sure what was going on anymore. This clearly wasn't a dream. But how is all this real? Talking animals? Bloody hell. And to make things more insane I'm halfway across the world! Like my life couldn't get anymore messed up. The only up side to all this was it was keeping me distracted from-"

I shook my head trying not to think about..everything that's happened before. As long as I just don't think about it, everything will be fine. We eventually reached the training hall and the sound a music filled the air. When we entered the courtyard, we saw Shifu sitting with his legs crossed under the tree playing a flute. His playing ceased as his eyes laid upon us.

"Proceed inside and begin your training. I would like to speak to our guest" he said.

While the rest went inside, I was left alone with Shifu and for some reason I felt rather nervous.

"You failed to get up when I had asked" he said, rising up from his sitting position and placed his hands behind his back.

I lowered my head slightly "Sorry about that" I apologized

He then began to role the back and forth with fingers "Do you know why I had asked you to get up with the others?" he asked

I thought for a short moment before shaking my head "Sorry, no" I replied.

"I was testing to see if you could do it and I can see that you failed" he said, rather harshly.

"You were testing me? Why?" I asked.

"Last night Crane had informed me of how you were able to deal with one of the bandits. He said that you handled yourself pretty well. And seeing how you just arrived in the valley, I had wondered if we could make your staying here more permanent" he replied.

"You mean staying here and becoming a fighter?" I asked

"Precisely. I could train you as I've trained the others. You could become warrior trained in the ways of Kung fu, who can be depended by the defenseless. But traveling down this road will not be easy, it requires a high level of disciple, patience, focus and determination" he said. I have to admit the idea of becoming a Kung fu warrior sounded pretty awesome and place to stay didn't sound to bad ether, but the requirements...did I have all those things? Maybe I do and just haven't found out. Then again, waking up late seems to prove otherwise, but still it guess it wouldn't hurt to try. I just hope I don't mess up. Don't think I can endure more-

I shook my head once more reminding myself to try not to think about..everything.

"Well...I suppose there's no harm in trying" I finally replied.

"A smart decision. Very few are given the chance to train at the Jade palace. Now come with me" he said, turning and began walking into the training hall. I followed as we both stepped inside to see the rest training. Like before, the tiger was at the spinning logs, Mantis was at dummies and Monkey was swinging on the rings. But with the addition of Crane on the green bowl shaped like a turtle and Viper on..wow. Well now I know what the metal pipes were. Viper was avoiding flames that were rising up from the pipes and seemed to be doing a pretty good job.

"I would like to see how to fare in battle firsthand" Shifu said as he approached the guys and snapped his fingers. When he did, they all rushed to him and stood in a straight line in front of him "Proceed outside" he said as he turned and left the hall. The others followed as I did as well. When we got outside they others all formed in a straight line.

"Ben, stand here" Shifu said, pointing beside him in front of the others. I did so and Shifu then walked and stood beside his students.

"Monkey" he said as he snapped his fingers. When he did, Monkey leaped forward and took position in front of me.

"Ready yourselves" Shifu said. Monkey then took up a fighting stance. I then took up a stance as well

"Begin" Shifu said.

Immediately after Shifu said that, Monkey leaped forward and stretched out his right leg, striking my face with his foot. I stumbled back and held my nose in pain. But I quickly held out my arm as Monkey swung his and blocked it.

'Huh, maybe I do I have a chance'

Monkey then grabbed my arm and twisted it, when he did, it caused be to bend forward. Monkey then struck my face once again with his foot.

'Okay, maybe not'

It seemed no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to land a hit. Eventually Monkey threw jabs into my chest, then proceeded to roundhouse kick me in the head. I fell to the ground in pain. I sat up, rubbing one hand on my head.

Shifu shook his head slightly and let out a hush groan "I somehow believe that luck was on your side when you were dealing with the bandit. I had expected a better effort" he said, with a harsh tone. I sighed and lowered my head slightly "I want you to try again. Crane" he said, snapping his fingers. Crane then took position in front of me, as I got up and took up a defensive position "Begin!" Shifu announced, Crane flew into the air as I watched as he circled me, he then swooped down and tried to strike me with his right wing but luckily I manage to block it, only to be struck by his left one he flapped his wings and used both of his talons to strike my chest. I stumbled back coughing, but quickly raised my arm to block his wing, and I finally punched back. I manage to land a hit to Cranes beak, which he merely shook it off before attacking me once again. Luck was clearly not on my side, when Crane gained the upper han— oh who I'm kidding he had the bloody thing since the start. With one final swoop with his wing, Crane effectively upper cutter me knocking me to the ground. I was once again, in agony.

"You fared no better in this match, but there does seem to be signs of improvement. Even if it jut slightly" Shifu said, almost not sounding like an ass "Viper" he said snapping his fingers.

'Oh shit, not again' I thought, horrified.

So for he next hour, one by one they all began to use me as a boxing bag. Seriously, I could barely had a chance block, let alone even throw a punch. And could you blame me? These guys are fricking Kung fu masters for Gods sake! Well our...session came to an end. While the others didn't even break a sweat, I however felt rather weakened from, oh you know, an hour of getting the shit kicked out of me. The rest had returned into the Training hall except for Viper and Crane, who Shifu had asked to stay in the courtyard with me. After a few minutes he retuned with a scroll in one hand and have it to Crane.

"Crane, I would like you to fetch items on this list. Viper, I would like you to accompany Ben to the clothing store. Try and find clothing to...replace his current ones" he said, looking me over as I did as well.

My clothes were starting to wear out and that was even before the fact that My ass got planted into the ground Over six hundred times for the past hour. Maybe it was time to get some new clothes.

"Yes, Master" Viper and Crane said in unison. They turned to leave and I followed behind. We eventually reached the top of the steps near the building a first saw when I came up here. When we reached the bottom of the steps, we reached what looked like an arena of some sort. Something else I couldn't quite make out in the snow. There was two buildings which stood opposite one another, with stands that faced the centre. When we started to head down the second set of steps, Crane decided to brake the silence.

"Hey Ben, you didn't do too bad today" he said.

"Yeah right. I was awful" I replied.

"I wouldn't say that. Even if you didn't land to many hits, you still manage to keep fighting, despite having to fight all of us in a row" Viper said, weighing into the conversation

I sighed "I don't know, I felt like maybe I could have done better" I said, lowering my head.

"Up against Kung fu masters? Come on, don't be so hard yourself" Crane said.

"Why did Master Shifu have us spar anyway?" Viper asked.

"Well, when you guys went inside the hall to train, Shifu made me offer to come and join you guys, seeing how I was able to handle myself back in that store" I explained,

"And?" Crane asked.

"Well...I said yeah. I really don't have anywhere to go and I don't know anyone here besides you guys and the idea of becoming a Kung fu fighter doesn't sound to bad either" I replied.

"Well It'll be nice to have you stick around" Viper said, smiling.

"Yeah, you see like a pretty cool guy" Crane added, also smiling.

I kinda felt strange after hearing that. Probably cause well..I've never really had anyone who wanted me to stick around with them. Maybe this place isn't as bad as I think

"Thanks, Crane" I said, managing to crack a smile.

We finally reached the bottom and we took in what we saw. The streets echoed with the sounds of men, women and child alike going about their daily business. Stalls were set up and different types of animals were behind listing off to bypasses what they had for sale. This place just seemed so alive.

"Well, come on. Let's go then" Viper said, slithering in town as Crane and I followed

'Let's see what this place has to offer' I thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: it's the clothes that make the man

So Crane, Viper and I were walking through the town passing shops and houses. This whole place was amazing. I loved the sounds, smells and the sights. This place was just so alive with life. The streets were deprived of litter and the awful stench of polluted air. It just felt so good to breath in fresh air for once. One thing that I dislike though. The animals would often...well stare at me. I have know doubt they've never seen a human before, but still it was kinda rude and just made me feel uncomfortable . I never liked being the centre of attention, so I threw up my hood to try and avoid drawing more attention to myself, but even then my clothes being so different to theirs didn't help the matter either. Looks like the idea of new clothes is looking better and better.

"Hey Ben, are you alright?" Viper asked, noticing my nervous expression.

"Yeah, just..not really liking all of the stares I'm getting right now." I replied, trying to bury my head into my hoodie further. Viper looked around and noticed a few villagers staring at me as they passed.

"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" she said aloud. When she did the animals turned their gaze ahead of them and continued to walk.

"Thanks, Viper. I kinda should have known my appearance would draw attention." I said, feeling slightly less nervous.

"Come on, don't worry about that just ignore them." she said.

"What type of species are you anyway. If you don't mind me asking?" Crane asked.

"Well I'm a human." I replied, falling back slightly to walk alongside him.

"A human? Don't think I've ever heard of such a species. Are there a lot of humans back were you used to live?" he asked.

"Well..yeah." I answered, kinda wishing they would change the subject.

"Where did you live before?" Viper asked.

I froze up. Oh crap, what the hell should I say? That I'm from another dimension?! If I say that I'll be branded as a psychopath or something. What the hell should I say?! I'm still not sure what the hells going on. I wasn't sure about revealing where I'm truly from was a good idea, but I had to think up of something quick.

"I'd rather not talk about home it brings back...bad memories." I said frowning.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."Viper began saying, with sympathy in her voice.

"No, no it's okay, I just don't really wanna talk about it. If that's okay." I said.

"Don't worry I won't. Anyway we should get you them new clothes." Viper said, changing the subject.

"You guys go do that, I've gotta get supplies for the Palace." Crane said.

"Alright then, see you later Crane." Viper said.

"See ya Viper. And you too Ben." he said waving while turned.

"Well come on we're nearly there." Viper said, as we continued to to dwell further in the town. We eventually arrived outside a store and a sign hanging above the door that had '裁缝' written on it, which I assumed in English had something to do with clothing. We enter he store and well as you'd guess there were clothes here. The place was packed with clothing being hung up with wooden hangers. The clothes were mostly all fashioned differently, from a range of clothing for men a women alike. They all resembled a Chinese fashion. We approached the counter and noticed no one was behind it, only a set of curtains which probably lead to a back room.

"Ling, are you here?" Viper asked aloud, but received no response. "Ling?" she called out again, except this time the sound of something shuffling came from behind the curtains, then somebody emerged. To be more specific it looked like a female leopard. Her fur was a light orange and white colour and her eyes were green like an emerald. She wore a white shirt with buttons, long sleeves that hung loose and black pants. She appeared to have measuring tape slung over her shoulder, most likely to take measurements. When she emerged, she smiled.

"Viper its so good see you again!" she said, approaching Viper and giving her a hug.

"You too Ling." Viper said, also smiling.

"It feels like years since I've seen you. And don't you look beautiful as ever." she said, looking Viper over.

"Thanks Ling. you look great too." Viper said. The leopard turned to me and smiled.

"I see you've brought a friend." she said.

"Yes this is Ben. Ben, this is Hua-Ling, an old friend of mine." Viper said, introducing us both to each other.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." she said, holding out her paw. I gently grabbed it and shook it.

"Likewise, miss." I replied.

"So what can I do for you today Viper?" She asked, turning to her friend.

"I was wondering if you were able to supply my friend with new clothes." she replied. The leopard turned back to me and smiled.

"Of course! This should be exciting, I've never work with a manner of species like this before." she said, circling me, looking me over, "it might take some time though. I don't think I have clothing that matches his build, well at least not until I measure him first and see." she said, turning back to Viper.

"Well take your time, there's really no rush." Viper said.

"Alright then. If you'll follow me." Ling said, pushing past the curtains. I looked at Viper still rather nervous, but she swished her tail gesturing me to follow and I did, with hesitation. I pushed passed the curtains entered the back room. Inside there were chairs and tables with fabric and silk scattered on them and also a sewing machine, nothing like a modern day one. Another table had a few unfinished dresses with needle and thread next to them. In the centre of the room there was a round rug that had a red and blue ring pattern on it. At the back of the room the was another set of curtains which was most likely a dressing room. All around the room there were more clothes all being hung up along with a large selection of shoes and boots placed in a corner.

"Alright then. Shall we get started?" she asked.

"Um..sure" I replied, quietly.

"Okay, I might have pants and shoes that will most likely fit you but I'll have to take measurements to see if I can get a top to fit you," she said removing the tape from her shoulder, "If you could remove your top please" she said.

My eyes widened and I could hear my heart beating in my ears. I just couldn't help it, I had always felt nervous around strangers and the fact that one was asking me to remove my top just made me freak out slightly.

Ling chuckled, "Come now, don't be nervous I'm just going to take measurements" she said. I gulped as I began to zip down my hoodie and removed it slowly. I then grabbed my t-shirt and pulled it off I threw it onto a nearby chair along with my hoodie and I stood there uncomfortably. It's not that I'm ashamed of my body, personally I think it didn't look too bad. I have a natural strong build, but even then I wasn't the strongest guy around.

"Alright then, If you could raise your right arm please" she said. I complied to her request and she she placed one end of the tape near my shoulder and placed the other by my hand. After that she walked over to one of the nearby tables and shoved aside some fabric and picked up a piece of paper and quill. She dipped the quill in ink and wrote something down on the piece of paper and then brought it over, placing it on the nearby chair, where my hoodie and t-shirt rested. She asked me to raise my left arm and measured that one aswell. After a short period of silence, Ling broke it with a question.

"So, are you new in town? Don't think I've seen you around." she asked, continuing to take measurements.

"Yeah, I uh..just" target="_blank"uh..just arrived yesterday." I replied.

"Well that's good to hear. It's always nice to have a new face around here. Especially when it's a face unlike any other. I don't believe I've ever seen someone like you before, what kind of species are you?" she asked.

"I'm a human." I replied.

"Human? Never heard of any humans around here." she said.

"Yeah, I've noticed seeing how I was being stared at by everyone who passed by." I said.

"Oh..I'm sorry to hear that." she said

"Don't worry about it." I said.

"So tell me, how do you know Viper?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I met her yesterday when I came into town last night. She was in a bit of a rough jam with some guys trying to rob a store. So I lent her a hand and in return she invited me up to the Palace up in the mountain to spend the night." I replied.

"Wow, it must have been quite an honor to be up in the Jade Palace." she said, beginning to measure my neck.

"Well I'm kinda..new to China so I've never really heard of the place before coming here." I said. In response, Ling's eyes widened and then she chuckled.

"Amazing, you just arrive in China and you've already managed to meet the most famous Kung Fu fighters in China." she said.

"I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy." I said.

"I feel honored to friends with one of them, let alone live in the same valley as them." she said.

"So how did you meet Viper?" I asked. Ling stopped measuring me and sighed.

"I met her almost three years ago when I first arrived in the Qvalley. I had just set up shop here and business was just perfect. It seemed everyday someone would come in the buy clothes. And then one faithful day a couple of bandits decided to try and rob my shop. I've never been so frightened in my life, it was the first time someone's ever tried to rob me and I just didn't know what to do and froze up. They started to cause havoc to the shop, tearing clothes and destroying shelves." she stopped speaking as her ears dropped before continuing,"One of them brought a knife to my throat and threatened to kill me if I didn't give them all the money I earned. I was just...so scared and I thought I was going to die, but then Viper and the rest of them showed up stopped them. I was still shaken up so Viper stayed behind to comfort me. So we began to talk for what felt like hours and sure enough we became friends. Every now and then Viper would come around to pay a visit. But even though a made a great friend that day, sometimes...sometimes that memory plays in my head and it..still hurts to think about it." she said, sighing once again before continuing to take measurements but without the smile she had before telling her story. And because of this, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt come over me.

"I'm..so sorry I-I didn't mean to bring back an awful memory like that." I said, sympathetically.

"Oh don't worry about it. I guess..I guess it helps sometimes getting it out in the open and not trying to bottle it up all the time." she said, reclaiming her smile.

"Yeah...I guess." I said, in a hush tone. Ling finished up measuring and took the sheet she was writing on, which I assumed was the measurements, and brought it over to a nearby table and began to look it over.

"Mmmm...I do believe you're in luck. I just might have something that will fit you. Hang on a moment." she said, scavenging through the hung up clothes, pushing aside hanger by hanger until she grabbed a black undershirt and then headed over to another set of hung of clothing, which consisted of pants, and grabbed a pair of black silk pants which she place on her arm along with the shirt. She then headed over to another set of hung up clothes with variety of different coloured vests, with and without sleeves. She pulled out one similar to the tigers except it had sleeves and a hood, along with a red and black waist wrap. The vest was white with red and black trims with a vine pattern on it. And finally she headed to the corner With shoes and boots and grabbed a black pair of shoes, then headed back to me.

"Ok. Take these and try them on in the changing room over there." she said, handing me the clothes and pointing to the set of curtains at the back of the room. I headed towards it and shoved the curtains to the side. Inside was a small room with a large mirror, red carpet, coat hanger and a chair. I closed the curtains behind me and placed the clothes on the chair, then proceeded to the remove my pants and get dressed. I stood in front of the mirror and looked myself over.

'All I'm missing is hidden blades.' I thought. I then smacked myself in the face,"Why I'm a such a nerd." I picked up my pants and pushed passed to curtains to see Ling inspecting my hoodie. She turned to me and smiled.

"My, my, don't you look just look dashing." she said, which caused me to blush.

"Ummm...thanks." I said, scratching the back of my head nervously.

"Now that we've got you some new clothes, what you like to do with these." she asked, holding up my T-shirt and hoodie. I looked at them and my pants and wonder what would I do with them. The pants and hoodie were in pretty bad condition and the T-shirt faired no better. They could be repaired, but I think I'd be more comfortable wearing clothes that didn't stand out and draw attention.

"I guess I could get rid of them." I replied.

"Are you sure? I could fix them up for you in no time." she said.

"No, that's alright. I kinda feel more comfortable wearing these clothes." I said.

"Okay then. I don't suppose you'd mind if I keep them. I could use their design to maybe created a new type of fashion." I said, examining my hoodie.

"Umm..sure." I said.

"Thank you. Now I'll see you out." she said pushing past the curtains as I followed behind. When we the front of the shop, I saw Viper on a chair and she turned towards us and smiled.

"You did a great job Ling, thank you." Viper said, looking me over.

"No problem Viper, it's least I could do." Ling said.

"So how much will it cost?" Viper asked.

"Oh don't worry about, this ones on me." Ling replied.

"Wait, are you sure?" Viper asked.

"Of course, don't worry." Ling replied, reassuringly.

"Thank you Ling, we'll see you later." Viper said, hugging her friend once again.

"Goodbye Viper. And it was nice talking to you Ben." Ling said, holding her paw out, which I shook once again.

"You too." I said. Viper and I then exited the shop and stood outside. The echoing of everyone going about their business filled the air once again.

"Well now that you've got new clothes, I'd like to go check of the bandits from last night have been taken to Chorh-Gom. Would you come with me?" she asked. Seeing how I barely know my way around and would probably get lost, I think it would be best to stick with Viper.

"Yeah sure, lead on." I replied, as she slithered forward and I followed behind, throwing my hood up. As we began to walk through the streets I noticed I wasn't drawing as much attention on myself, which made me feel less nervous. We eventually arrived outside a large building with a sign that has '卫队前哨' written on it, which was probably something to do with the guards. With stepped inside to see many guards going about their business. I noticed two of them standing and both sides of the door we came in.

"Excuse me, is the captain here?" Viper asked one of the guards by the door.

"I believe so. Just head down the hall." the guard replied.

"Alright, thank you." Viper said. We then headed down a hall and when we turned the corner we stopped outside a door. Viper then extended her tail and knocked on the door. In response, a male voice speak from inside.

"Come in." he said. Viper turned the doorknob and we both stepped into a small room. There was a window at the back of the room which had a good view the street outside. On the wall rested a weapon rack with a katana placed on it. In the centre of the room their was a large desk with what looked a logbook or something and alongside it there was a quill and inkwell. Sitting at the desk was the panther from last night, who looked like he was finishing up writing something down in the logbook. He raised his head from the desk and his eyes fell upon us

"Ah Master Viper, it's good to see you again." he said, before looking at me, "Hey, I remember you. You're that guy from last time who helped deal with the bandits, right?." he asked.

"Um..yeah." I replied.

"I don't believe we got properly introduced. My name is Kai-Jien, but you can just call me Kai" he said, rising from the desk and holding out his paw. I reached out and shook it.

"I'm Ben, it's nice to meet you." I said.

"Likewise. So, are you new in town? Haven't seen you around." he asked, sitting back down.

"Yeah I uh..just arrived yesterday." I said.

"Are you planning on staying around?" he asked.

"Well Master Shifu gave him a chance to come and train at the Jade Palace and he said yes." Viper answered, weighing into the conversation.

"That's a rare opportunity to come by, my friend. You must feel lucky." he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah..I guess." I said.

"Anyway, what can I do you two for?" I asked.

"We came here to check if the bandits were brought to Chorh-Gom." Viper explained.

"Ah, of course. You don't need to worry. I had a couple of my men take them by carriage a few hours ago, they should be there and back in a day or two." he said.

"Well that's good to here. If there's any other problem in the valley, you know where to find us." Viper said.

"You don't. You don't need to worry. if anything gets out of hand, we'll put a stop to it. Goodbye, my friends." he said, waving as we exited the office.

"Well then, now that we've done everything we're suppose to do down here, we should head back up to the Jade Palace." Viper suggested.

"Lead the way." I said. I then followed Viper out the building and headed back up to the..Jade Palace.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: fitting in

So after we met up with Crane, we all headed back up the steps to the Palace, or the Jade Palace as they've been calling it. And once again I found myself breathless after climbing all those steps. What I would give just to have an escalator there.

"I take it you're not getting used to those steps anytime soon." Crane asked, releasing a light chuckle.

"Probably not. So if I ever collapse at anytime on my way up, just leave me to die." I replied, gasping for air. Crane and Viper both chuckled at my response.

"I guess we should get back to the training hall." Viper said.

"Alright then. Let's go." Crane said. Viper then slithered ahead, where Crane and I then followed behind her. As we headed towards...training hall, I could still feel the suns ray on my face. Despite it being out with clear skies, the air was still bitter. The cold gnawing at me sending chills down my spine. However my new clothing was providing more warmth than my previous ones. And even with the cold, the sight seemed to bring a warm feeling. I still couldn't wrap my head around just how beautiful this place is. It's like someone saw the crappy neighbourhood I was living in and decided to change it into something better. But I highly doubt that was the case, I don't think I'd be that lucky. Then again...I'am in this place. Which is still puzzling me. China..I still can't believe. Just that one little word that completely blew my mind. How the hell did I get here? And why are the residents animals? I noticed this place is t too modern either. This place resembles more like ancient China to me. But how's that possible? Did I go back in time or something? I have so many goddamn questions, and there's no one who can answer them. Except maybe the creepy voice I heard before coming here. I can defiantly rule out that it wasn't the alcohol doing something to my mind. Just what the hell was it? And why was it speaking to me? This all just too confusing. I just needed more time to think, but right now didn't seem like the time. We arrived at the training hall and opened the doors and stepped inside. Just like this morning, Monkey, Mantis and the tiger Seemed to be at the same equipment and Shifu was observing from the side and didn't look exactly pleased with them. His gazed fell upon us and he began to make his way over to us.

"Ah, now you look much more respectable. Now that you have acquired the appropriate attire, I believe it's time for you to start properly training. I would like for you to begin-" he said, while being cut off from the doors opening from behind us and a goose stepped inside. He wore a yellow robe with black trims and had a yellow at to match with it.

"M-master Shifu, Master Oogway is requesting Your presence." the goose said, in a nervous tone. With this news, Shifu's eyes widened.

"Where?" he asked quickly.

"In the hall of warriors." the goose replied. Shifu then turned towards once again.

"While I go and speak with Master Oogway, I want the three of you to start training. Understand?" Shifu said.

"Yes Master Shifu." Crane and Viper said in unison and bowed, which Shifu noticed I didn't.

"If you are you train here you WILL address me as 'Master' and bow respectively." he said, staring at me with a stern look, "Understood?" despite his size, he still seemed to be intimidating.

"Yes..Master." I finally said and bowed. 'Master' Shifu then turned and left the hall along with the goose.

"Christ, is he always that cold hearted?" I asked.

"I wouldn't take it to heart, it's just his way." Viper replied.

"He looked like he was about to tear my head off." I said.

"He does seem to leave that kind of impression." Crane joked.

"Does he make you train everyday?" I asked.

"Just Monday to Friday. We get the weekend off." Viper answered.

"And today is?" I asked. In response Viper chuckled.

"This morning you didn't seem to even know what country you were in, now you don't know what day it is? Did you come here drunk or something? Because there was a smell of alcohol coming off of you." Viper asked curiously.

"Well...yeah, I needed to clear my head from some things" I replied honestly, with a shameful expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything." Viper said noticing my expression.

"No worry about it." I said assuringly.

"Well I guess we better get started." Crane said turning towards the equipment in the centre of the room.

"Don't suppose there's anything in here that will not kill me the first time I try it?" I asked.

"Well I suppose you could try your luck with the adversary." Viper joked as she pointed towards a training dummy that sat in the corner to our left

"Knowing my luck, I'm pretty sure I'd get my ass kicked." I said.

"Well I suppose you should start off with the wooden warriors." Crane suggested, pointing towards the spinning dummies.

"It doesn't look too difficult." I commented, observing Mantis fly through it like it was nothing.

"Alright then, let's go to it." Crane said as he headed for the spinning dummies, while Viper and I followed. As we headed towards the dummies, mantis had reached the other side of the dummies at on incredible speed. He turned and saw us approach.

"Hey guys and..hey you're still here?" Mantis asked noticing my presence.

"Yeah, looks like I'll be training here with you guys." I replied.

"Cool, it'll be good have someone new to talk to around here. I see you got yourself new clothes as well, looking

much better than your last ones" he said before asking,"So what are you all doing over here?"

"Well Master Shifu said that we need to start training and I thought we should get Ben to start off with wooden warriors." Crane explained.

"Alright then, go ahead." Mantis said while leaping on Cranes shoulder.

"So I just have to get to the other side while avoiding getting my skull cracked open?" I asked Mantis.

"Pretty much. Just try and block the arms and push your way through" he replied. I look over the course and began having second thoughts about trying it. Mantis made it look so easy but that's probably because his size aloud him safe passage through it. I'm nearly 6 foot tall and the dummies only seemed to come up around nearly 5 foot. And being taller than the dummies meant that it's top arms will smack my face. Just great. I took a deep breath and stood readying myself as well as I could.

'This is gonna hurt.' I thought. I slowly stepped forward in between two dummies and managed to slip past without setting off the arms. I then slipped through another two.

'Huh, maybe this won't be so bad.' I thought. Immediately, after I set foot between the next two dummies, their arms began to spin.

'Oh crap.' I thought, before receiving a wooden arm to my face and stomach. I held my face in pain as I was sent towards another set of wooden arms, which struck my chin and stomach again. I saw another set of arms about to hit me, but before it could I blocked the top one with my arm and the bottom with my leg. I then began to move to the centre, trying my best not to get hit. After only being hit a few more times, I managed to get to the other side.

"Ow." was all I get say. My whole body was sore as hell. What madman designed that thing?! I groaned as I held my head in pain and couldn't help but notice Monkey had joined Crane, Viper and Mantis by the side of the course.

"Not bad. You actually managed to block a good number of arms. Not many could do that on their first try." Viper said encouragingly, but I somehow suspect she's just saying that to hide the fact that I pretty much just failed. I signed in response and lowered my head feeling rather embarrassed of my performance.

"Oh come on man, you didn't really expect to do it perfectly the first time you tried it did you?" Mantis asked.

"I guess not." I replied feeling less embarrassed.

"Alright we should try something else." Crane said. Mantis then leapt off his shoulder and resumed with his training, while I followed Crane and we seemed to be heading towards the giant green turtle shell.

"Alright, this will be a test of balance," Crane began to explain,"I want you to stand beside me on one side of the shell."

"Alright." I said with a nod. Crane then spread his wings and flew up and landed on the shell. I leapt up grabbing the edge of the shell and pulled myself up. I tried to stand myself up and nearly fell into the shell. I began to wobble back and forth before managing to balance myself.

"I was going to say that we should start off with sparring on this, but you don't seem to be able to balance yourself well," Crane said noticing my effort to keep from falling,"so I think we will should begin with something simple like seeing how well you can keep your balance when there's a counter balance. I'm going to shimmy around the shell and displace as much weight as I can, you just try and remain balanced. Got it?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's do this." I replied, trying to be as confident as much as I could. Crane then began to move around the shell, forcing as much weight as he could everywhere be stood. I was surprisingly doing a good job, despite the fact that the shell was rocking back and forth non-stop. After Crane had rocked the shell back and forth for a few minuets, he came to a halt.

"Not bad, you kept your balance pretty well." Crane said with a smile.

"Thanks, Crane." I said with a smile of my own. After training with Crane for while, Master Shifu had returned andhe began to observed my performance and, quite frankly, he didn't seemed impressed. He continued to watch us training for the next few hours until it was getting late.

"That will be enough training for today, proceed to the kitchen and have dinner, then head to your rooms and rest for the night." Shifu announced loudly, before turning to leave.

"Come on then, I'll get dinner started." Viper said, leaving the hall with the rest of us following behind her. When we arrived at the kitchen, we all took a seat at the table. Viper said that she would make soup for all of us aside from the tiger who just stuck with those the cubes she ate this morning. Not exactly my first choice. It really did t look too appetizing. Well maybe for a mouse, but not for a fully grown man.

"Not bad for your first day training here, huh Ben?" Mantis asked, striking up a conversation.

"Aside from the the excruciating pain you all inflicted on me, and being repeatedly struck in the face by the spinning warriors, Yeah, it was alright I suppose." I replied, receiving a chuckle out of both Mantis and Monkey and a smile from Crane. The tiger, on the other hand, just seemed to remain emotionless. I noticed that she had the expression all day, she was also the only who I haven't talk to yet and I don't even know her name. But she looks like she'd bite my head off if I did, so I figured maybe talking to her wouldn't be a great idea.

"You'll get better, it was only your first day." Crane assured.

"What was your first day here like?" I asked Crane.

"Oh pretty good, I already knew a good bit of Kung Fu before coming to the Jade Palace and I settled in pretty well." Crane said quickly. A bit too quickly. It almost seemed like something he didn't want to talk about it.

"'Settled in pretty well', huh?" Mantis asked, with a mischievous look. Crane covered his face with his wing.

"Please don't." Crane pleaded

"Because if memory serves me right, you were a nervous wreck," Mantis began, causing Crane to hide his face further in embarrassment,"You stuttered with your words, you were twitching and I could swear you fainted one time." he said, causing Monkey to laugh.

"Come on, I just moved from the academy and I was nervous. I didn't know anybody here." Crane said.

"You know I'm only playing around with you." Mantis said while releasing a light chuckle.

"Yeah well, when you arrived you didn't exactly leave the best impression." Viper said, weighing into the conversation.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that bad...was I?" Mantis asked.

"Are you kidding? You the biggest hot-head around. 'Modesty' was clearly something you weren't familiar with." Viper continued.

"Okay, so maybe a was a 'little' ahead of myself." Mantis said.

"A 'little?'You almost got us killed countless times. And I use the work 'countless' because I doubt any of us bothered to keep counting after two hundred." Viper said, causing Monkey and Crane to laugh and I released a little chuckle of my own.

"As you can see Ben, nothing but love between all of us." Mantis said, sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"Oh I can see that." I said releasing a light chuckle.

"Alright, the soups ready,"Viper announced while pouring soup in bowls,"Could you help with these Crane?" She asked as she held two on her tail.

"Sure." he replied smiling. He then took three bowls and placed it in front of me, Monkey and Mantis, while Viper placed her two in front of Crane and herself. They both then gave each of us and themselves a spoon to eat with.

"Mmmm smells delicious," Monkey said, before swallowing a spoonful,"And tastes and good as it smells. You always fail to disappoint Viper." Monkey said.

"Thank you Monkey." Viper said with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah, not bad." Mantis said sounding almost unimpressed.

"Oh, and you could do better?" Viper asked.

"Maybe...with some time to practice-" he began before he was cut off by Viper.

"Yeah right. If you tried to pour yourself a glass of water, you'd set the kitchen on fire." she joked causing us to laugh and Mantis to lower his head in embarrassment. After almost an hour of chatting, we had all finished our meal, we headed back to our rooms to rest for the night. I entered my room and sat down on my bed. I removed my vest and placed it beside me. I kicked off my shoes and laid down on the bed, sighing. Now seemed like a great time to address the elephant in the room. Which was, how the hell did I get here and what the hell is going on?! I mean, Jesus, I'm in China! CHINA! And it's inhabitants are talking animals who I treat as everyday people. I agreed to learn Kung Fu! What I'm I doing?! So many thoughts were passing through my mind, but one stood how from the the rest. The voices. They spoke to me, telling about 'My destiny' and 'Beginning anew' and some other crap. Beginning anew...does that mean what I think it does? Did those voices send me here? To start a new life? Okay, maybe my life wasn't too great back before...

I shook my head reminding myself to just drop it and try and forget. If I ignored it, everything will be okay. Although some alcohol might help. I sighed as I ran my fingers through my long hair.

'What I'm I going to do?' I thought to myself. After being so deep in thought, I did t realise just how much time had passed. It must have been an hour or so. I grunted in annoyance and pulled myself off the bed.

'I guess a little walk would do me good.' I thought as I put my vest back on. I slowly opened my door and peeked down the hall. Everyone seemed fast asleep. I then crept quietly out of room until I was outside. Immediately the cold air began to gnaw at my skin. It felt strange not hearing a passing car or plane. Sounds I wished stopped so I could sleep, are now sounds I'm missing. I breathed deeply as I began to walk. With my hood down I could feel my hair blowing in the wind. Must have been about two years since I just stopped cutting my hair. I just let it grow until it had finally reached my shoulders. I kinda like it really, with my goatee I didn't look too bad. Kinda like a heavy metal fan or something. Did I really just talk about my hair and beard? Jesus. I really need better things to talk about. After walking for a while, I came across that the massive hall with the pillars outside and, well curiosity got the best of me and I headed towards it to see what's inside. As I came around the the front of it, I noticed that one of the doors was left ajar. I raised a brow in suspicion as I slowly made towards it and peeked inside. And inside was just wow. The room was massive and the green seemed to reflect just about everywhere. There was also pillars similar to those outside. The walls were decorated with pictures and weapons and such. Many weapons were on display along with a couple of suits of armour and vases. One particular weapon rack was empty for some reason. Maybe there saving a spot for a future weapon? At the far end of the room, on the ceiling was a majestic and amazing sculpture of a golden dragon. It was just incredible how much detail was put into this thing. I also noticed it was holding something between it's teeth. It seemed to resemble a scroll or something. And below this wonderful piece of art was...the tiger? Yeah she seemed to be sitting with her legs crossed in front a pool of some sort. She appeared to be staring up at the dragon.

'What was she doing here?' I thought. It really wasn't any of my business, but I just seemed curious as to why she was here. This also didn't seem like a bad time to introduce myself properly. Although... she came her alone, which means she probably didn't want to be disturbed. After some consideration, I decided to go and introduce myself. I slid between the door that was left ajar and began to make my way towards her.

"For one who wishes to learn Kung Fu, your stealth is will need improvement." she said bitterly, before standing up and facing me.

"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you." I said.

"Then what are you doing here?" She asked folding her arms.

"Well I was out for a walk and come noticed the door was left ajar. I peeked in and saw you. I figured we'll be training under the same roof, maybe we should get to know each other," I extended my hand,"I'm Ben, and you?" She kept her arms folded and just stared at my hand.

"I'm not looking for a friend." she said coldly. I frowned and pulled my hand back.

"Well okay, we don't have to be friends, if you don't want to. I just wanted to introduce myself and maybe get your name." I said. She cocked her head slightly, while narrowing her eyes. This made me feel rather uneasy.

"It's Tigress." she said after a brief moment of silence.

"Well it's nice to meet you," I said, earning more silence from her. I then scratched my head nervously,"So eh...what are you doing in here." I asked.

"That's none of your concern." she replied.

"Oh..eh okay." I said averting my gaze, feeling uncomfortable. We both stood there, me just uncomfortable as hell and her, just staring at me with narrowed eyes and folded arms.

"Well I eh..I'm gonna go now. I'll leave you to...do what ever you were doing." I said. After receiving no response and just turned and left the hall with a quickened pace. Well that was a little awkward...and scary. Maybe introducing myself wasn't such a great idea. I suppose there's nothing better to do now than just to go back to sleep. I returned to my room, took off my vest and laid down on my bed once more. Except this time I drifted off into deep slumber.

Somewhere far outside the Valley of peace...

A carriage is being hauled by rhino soldiers on a dirt path along with a few more who marched alongside it. They were far from any town or any lightly populated area. The carriage is equipped with iron doors, the keep whoever is inside from getting out. Inside, a cougar,a cheetah and two wolves have their hands bound in iron cuffs and their clothing replaced with rags.

"Not even a goddamn week and we've already screwed up again." Juan spoke lifting his head. The cougars face full of anger and annoyance.

"Maybe we should have just tried something else besides robbing people." the cheetah said, turning to Juan.

"With our past? We'd be lucky to get any job in this shithole of a country." the cougar said.

"This sucks." the wolves said in unison.

"Quiet in there!" a soldier shouted, walking along the carriage with a spear in his hand.

"Oh, piss off." Juan spat. The rhino smacked the iron bars with his spear.

"Im warning you!" he said, clenching his spear tighter with an angered expression. Juan growled under his breath.

"I guess it's another trip to prison." the cheetah said, leaning on his paw.

"I have a feeling we're gonna be there longer than last time." Dao said, frowning.

"Maybe we won't be getting out at all." the other wolf said with uncertainty. They all sighed. As a short silence ensured, it was eventually broken by one of the guards.

"Look out!" he shouted loudly.

Before anyone could figure out was going on, an explosion blew the guard into bits and causing the carriage to be blown onto its side, causing the four inside to be propelled to one side of the carriage. The sound of coughing a moaning emanated from the carriage.

"Oh god I think my arm is broke." the cheetah said, holding his arm.

"What the hell happened?!" Juan asked.

"How should we know? Hey the iron door is open." Dao said, pointing up on the door. Juan pulled himself up and leapt up grabbing the door with both hands pulling himself up. After he pulled himself out of the carriage he looked outside. On the ground was the remains of the guards. Their lifeless bodies were torn apart and the ground was painted with their blood.

"Hey give us a hand, Juan." the cheetah said, holding his hands up. Juan got down on one knee and held out his paws. The cheetah leapt up and grabbed them, to which Juan pulled him up. After helping the wolves up, they jumped down to the dirt path, overlooking the dead.

"Holy shit." The cheetah said, looking at the mess.

"What do we do now. We're fugitives, they'll hunt us down." Dao said, with a panicky tone.

"Well, well, well, what have we here," came a deep voice. The four turned, to face figures in the shadows. One massive one stepped out, carrying a large two-handed sword,"New recruits?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: a taste of what is to come

I was backed into a corner, surrounded by them. Their staring eyes, their fingers pointing at me and a cruel laughter along with the insults. I could feel tears beginning to form in my eyes. I just can't take it anymore! Suddenly they faded into darkness. No sounds, no light...nothing. And then I saw it, the rope, fashioned into a noose, hanging from the ceiling. My breathing became uncontrollable as a figure standing on a chair below it, began placing it around its neck.

"You caused this, this is your doing." it said. It raised one foot, hovering it in the air.

"No, NO, please don't!" I shouted, sprinting towards it. No matter how hard a tried, every step a took was in vain as the figure got further and further, until it faded completely into darkness. The last thing I heard was the sound of the tightening of a rope.

My eyes shot open and I sat up straight breathing heavily. I looked around the room and saw sunlight passing through the window, brightening up the room. I let out a sigh of relief.

'Just a dream..just a dream,' I thought, before frowning,'I wish it was.' I sat up and rubbed my eyes, and noticed something was wrong with my hand. I lifted them both up and noticed they were shaking. I placed one over the other and held it tight. I didn't hear anyone, or anything. It was too quiet. I felt cold, frightened and alone. I just needed a drink, I needed it to help me calm down. I-I-I need a drink, I need one now. As I sat there shaking, the sound of a distant 'dong' sound could be heard. That's when I remembered what Master Shifu said, about getting up when I hear it.

"Good morning, Master." I heard the others in unison.

"Ben! Ben!" I heard Master Shifu shouted. I shot up from my bed and open the doors and was greeted with an angered expression. He raised his flute threateningly.

"That's twice you failed to get up at greet me." he said.

"I'm sorry I was-"

"There is no excuses!" he shouted,"The rest of you have breakfast and resume your training." he said. They all left leaving me and Shifu alone.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" Master Shifu, raised his flute silencing me.

"I said no excuses. You failed to greet me on time, as such you must learn to accept responsibility, do you understand?" he asked, raising his voice. I lowered my head shamefully.

"Yes, Master." I replied with a saddened tone.

"Now, I want you to come with me. My Master wishes to speak with you." he said, turning and began walking down the hall. I quickly grabbed my vest, closed the doors to my room and followed him. As we stepped outside, I notice that most of the snow had melted, indicating that winter was starting to fade. Thank god for that, I can't stand the cold. I've always been summer kind of guy. I suppose the only upside to winter would be the holiday. One time of the year where not everyone's a complete dick. I usually see people having a good time. Singing, dancing and laughing. It would nice if I could've joined in. I sighed I just told myself to forget about it. After a while Shifu had led me to the hall I was at last night. He placed his hand on the door and turned to me.

"Before you enter remember this, Master Oogway is one of the wisest Masters in Kung Fu. He has taught many things over his life which had changed the life of many. You will treat him with the utmost respect and bow when you greet him. Are we clear?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes, Master." I replied. He then opened the door and told me to enter, and so I did. He then turned and left. I enter the hall and looked around for this 'Oogway' guy when I noticed something strange below the dragon statue. Was it a shell? It certainly looked like one. And it seemed to be balancing on a rather thin staff.

"Ah, so you have come. Good." a voice said, emanating from the shell. Suddenly it sprung arms and legs, reveling itself to be an old turtle, which began to slowly descend off the staff. It turned and faced me with a heartwarming smile. I bowed respectable, to which he chuckled.

"Come now, there's no need for formalities, I only wish to speak with you. I am Grand Master Oogway. It is nice to meet the newest student of the Jade Palace. " he said before gesturing for me to come closer, which I did.

"I'm Ben, it's a pleasure to meet you Master Oogway." I said.

"So tell me, are you fitting in well here at Jade Palace?" he asked.

"Um, I guess. Viper, Crane, Monkey and Mantis seem to be like me. Can't really say the same for Tigress and Shifu." I replied.

"Ah, yes, as expected from these two. But you cannot blame them for how to treat you. Both have suffered terribly during their lives, but as time passes, the wounds that have been inflicted on them will heal. And so will yours." he said. I felt uneasy with his last words.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You will see in time. As for now you should focus on your training. It will no doubt serve you well in the future. You should hear to the training hall now. When you need to speak to me again, I will find you, farewell for now." he replied, before returning to balancing on his staff.

"Um, goodbye then." I said. I then turned to leave but not before having one more glance at him. He defiantly gave a strange impression, but he seems like an interesting person. But I suppose I should do what he says and head to the training hall. Thankfully I can still remember where is. After reaching the hall, I entered and saw the rest of them at their usually stations. Master Shifu didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. I made way towards the spinning dummies where Mantis had just made his way to the other side and was about to do it again before noticing me.

"Well look who's still alive! We figured you'd be getting your coffin size fitted by now. Good to see you made it out alive." he said.

"Heh, thanks. I'll tell you you something though, with the look on his face, I figured he was gonna tear my head off." I said, almost shaking from fear remembering Shifu's face this morning.

"Well you're definitely getting on his good side, waking up late." he joked.

"If getting up late is a way to get on his good side, he's gonna love me by the end of the week." he joked, earning a chuckle out the little bug.

"Anyway, you should start training. You could train with me." he said.

"Okay, so will we take turns...?" I asked.

"No, no, I'll start on the right and you start on the left. Lets see who gets to the other side first," he said, taking position, which I did as well,"Alright, on the count to three, one...two...THREE!" he shouted, before taking off at high speed. I then followed behind blocking as many arms as I could, while pushing through at the same time. I seemed to have improved from yesterday, seeing how I blocked more times than I was hit. I eventually made it to the other side, seconds after Mantis.

"Not bad, you done better than you did yesterday." he said, sounding impressed of my performance.

"Thanks." I said with a small smile.

"Maybe you should train with Viper now. See how you do with something a bit more advanced." he suggested. I nodded in agreement before heading to where Viper was stationed. Oh sweet merciful god, what exactly I'm I about to do. There's fire coming from the ground, how I'm I suppose to do this?! Viper leaped off the fiery floor when she saw me approach.

"Hey Ben, I hope Master Shifu wasn't to hard on you." she said.

"Thankfully, he didn't spank me too hard." I joked. Viper covered her mouth with her tail, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"So what are you doing over here?" she asked.

"Well Mantis suggested I should try something a bit more advanced to see how I'll do." I replied.

"Well if you think you're up to it," she said, waving her tail over the metal floor,"Just remember, rely on your senses. You have to try and predict where the fire will come from." she explained. Okay, okay, I think I can do this. I took a deep breath and slowly set foot on the metal floor and other and other until I was in the centre.

'Try and predict, okay.' I thought, trying to stay calm. After a short moment, a flame shot out of the ground to my right missing me by inches. Another was about to turn me into bacon, but a leapt to side dodging it quickly. This was just insane! The fact that I could be a pile of ashes in seconds if I didn't dodge quickly enough, was actually quite fun! I guess there is such a thing as dangerous fun. After avoiding the flames for some time, they eventually stopped. I stepped of the metal floor and back onto the wooden.

"Wow, you did brilliantly. It's good to see that your improving, of you ever need help with your training, I'd be glad to help." Viper said with a smile.

"Thank you, Viper," I said with a smile of my own. Since I was staying here, I figured maybe getting to know these guys better wouldn't be such a bad idea. And Viper seems the nicest, so she might be the easiest to bond with,"So I was wondering, how did you end up training here?" I asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.

"Well I started training here nearly twenty years ago. Do you know Master Oogway?" she asked, to which I nodded,"Well I few months after my town had thrown the moon festival, Master Oogway had paid a visit to my village. He usually visits to speak with my father, but this time he approached me. He said that I had unique talents which could be used outside my village. So he offered me a chance to train at the Jade Palace. It was overwhelming to say the least. The honour of training at the Jade Palace? Just overwhelming. At first I was a little reluctant at first, but my father encouraged me to go and so I did."

"Why were you reluctant to come here?" I asked. She frowned.

"I just...didn't want to leave my family. I love them so much and to say goodbye was heartbreaking. We only keep in touch with letters and visits from time to time but... I still miss them." she said sadly.

"I'm sorry, it must have been hard. But al least you've got friends here who'll look out for you like you're own family would." I said, getting her to smile again.

"So what about you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" I replied

"Where's your family?" she asked. I felt myself freeze to the spot and my heart began to race.

"I-I-I don't...have a family." I replied in a jittery tone.

"What? No brothers or sisters? Not even a mom and dad?" she asked.

"Well, no family anymore. I didn't have any brothers or sisters, I did have a father but the bastard left me when I was four. As for my mother...she...she died years ago. So...I'm all alone." I said lowering my head in sadness.

"That's...horrible. I'm so sorry." she said. I just kept my head lowered. I..just couldn't talk about my mother. I just couldn't. I lifted my head and looked down at Viper. She had smile on her face as she placed her tail on my back.

"Hey, you have friends here too. We'll make sure you fit in just right, and treat you like one of our own." she assured. I managed to release a weak smile.

"Thank you." I said, quite moved by her words. So I continued to train with the rest of them and striking up a conversation with whoever I trained with. Except Tigress, I figured she didn't look like she wanted to be disturbed when she was training. While talking with the rest of them, I began to find out more about them. It turns out the name given to these merry band of misfits is 'The Furious Five'. They're apparently Kung Fu warriors who protect the 'Valley of Peace' and the other parts of China. I can see now why it's honour to train here. After an hour or so, the goose I saw yesterday and burst into hall panting.

"M-m-asters! Bandits in the Valley!" he manage to say through rapid breathes.

"Bandits? Come on guys, let's go!" Mantis shouted, rushing towards the door. Everyone else leapt off the training equipment and followed. Bandits? Damn..I don't know, I barely handled myself against one. There's gonna be more than one this time. I saw Viper about to leave, not before noticing me glued to the spot.

"Ben, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Viper, I...I'm not sure I can handle myself against more than one bandit." I replied.

"Hey, we're a team. We look out for each other and that includes you." she said. Which put me a little more at ease.

"Okay, let's do it then." I said. She nodded and left. I then followed behind. We caught up with the rest of them and sprinted down the stairway to heaven. Despite the fact that I was about to run into battle, I felt rather..excited. I've always fantasized about being a hero when I was a kid. Pretending to fight evil with a makeshift sword made out of cardboard. And to actually run into battle and fighting actually bandits? I couldn't help but feel a thrill running through my body. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, we noticed a store being robbed by a group of boars. There looked like there was around nine of them. As we sprinted forward, one boar turned and saw us coming.

"Oh bloody hell, lads! We got trouble!" he said. He seemed to have a British accent. After he called for his companions, they came out of the store with goods held under their arms. They dropped them and pulled out their weapons.

"Get em'!" one shouted, while they charged towards us. They began to swing their weapons wildly. The 'Five' began to fend off the bandits and one swung his ace at me. I leapt to the side dodging quickly and strike him in the nose. He stumbled back rubbing it painfully.

"Ow! You twat!" he shouted. He growled and swung his axe again. I dodged again and pitched his face. I then quickly grabbed the handle of his axe and pulled it from his grasp. I then kicked him into the stomach and then finished him off by kicking him straight into the face, knocking clean out. I stood there amazed at the fact that I managed to beat a guy who was carrying a deadly weapon. I was dazed for too long as I was unaware of another boar just about to bring his axe down on my head. I froze on the spot as I locked eyes with the axe at the last second just before it was about to kill me. Just then, the axe was blown out of the boars grasp by a thin tail. I then saw Viper jump up and bring her tail down on the boars head, introducing it to the ground. I thanked her quickly and then resumed fighting. Eventually, we had defeated all of the boars. They were all on the ground, moaning in pain.

"Well, that takes care of that." Mantis said, leaping on Monkeys shoulder.

"Off to prison for you guys." Monkey said. After the guards had arrived, we helped get the bandits to the guards outpost to put them in cells. We shoved them in cells and locked the doors.

"Oi mate! When do get out on bail?" one boar asked a nearby guard. Another boar face palmed and his comment.

"You stupid twat! We ain't gettin' out on bail." he said. The other boar then frowned.

"Oh bugger." he said sadly.

"Thank you, Masters." a guard said.

"Of course, we only want to keep the Valley safe." Crane said. We then turned to leave but hen bumped into Kai.

"Ah, I was told you all were here. I need you all to follow me." he said. He then led us into his office and sat down.

"I have a problem. The carriage carrying the criminals from yesterday hasn't returned yet. I have a feeling that it was attacked." he said.

"Are you sure? They could just be late back." Viper said.

"No, there not usually this late. I just know something's gone wrong." he said, worriedly.

"I take it the captain also has a feeling something's wrong?" Mantis asked, to which Kai nodded. I raised a brow confused.

"Wait, you're not the captain?" I asked. Kai shook his head,"Then who is?"

"That would be me." I heard a voice say behind me. We all turned the the sight of a female jaguar. She wore armour similar the Kai's except she seemed to be wearing a red neck scarf with black trims. She had her arms crossed and she didn't look too happy.

"I leave for five minuets and you've assumed the role as captain. Again." she said, shooting Kai a threatening gaze. He sighed.

"No I was just-"

"Keeping on eye on things? Of course you were. Just like you're keeping an eye out by sitting in my chair." she said. Kai rolled his as he got up from the chair and was shooed away by the jaguar. Kai then turned to me.

"Ben, I would like you to meet Jian, my-"

"Choose your words carefully, Kai." she warned.

"My...BEAUTIFUL wife, who I love dearly." he said, kissing her forehead.

"I suppose that should suffice," she said before turning to me, "So you're Ben? My good-for-nothing husband has told me about you. It's always nice to have newcomers in the Valley. Anyway it's a pleasure to meet you." she said.

"Likewise." I said.

"Back to business," she said, turning towards Kai, "Did you brief them?" she asked.

"Yes, love." he replied. Jian then turned back to us, placing her paws on the table in front of her.

"My soldiers usually run into trouble along the roads when transporting the undesirables, but they can handle themselves. Then they're usually back within a day. This time they've taken longer than usual. My gut tells me something's gone wrong. So I was hoping the Masters of the Jade Palace could help the guard." she explained.

"We'll help in anyway we can." Viper said.

"Thank you, Viper. Now, what I need is for you to travel the road the carriage was sent, then I-" Jian was cut short as a guard burst into the room.

"An urgent message for the captain." he announced, holding out a rolled up scroll with red ribbon keeping it closed. Jian then removed herself from her seat quickly and hurried over to him. She took the scroll and dismissed the soldier. She opened it with haste and began to read its contents. We all waited in silence for to finish to finish reading and when she did, she lowered it slowly and reveled a serious expression.

"I knew something happened." she said.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"The carriage was attacked. We have to go and investigate." she replied.

"We'll come too and give you a hand." Crane said.

"Thank you. Now let's go, we have a long walk." Jian said, leading us all out of her office.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: discovery/plotting

After we had left the Valley, we began following the path which presumingly the carriage carrying the bandits traveled down. In the letter that was given to Jian it said that the carriage was found by guards from another village. They had sealed off the area from the public and we're awaiting our arrival. So far we've been walking for about half an hour. I was at the back of the group following behind everyone else. The rest of them were conversing and Kai had just finished up a conversation with Jian, most likely about the situation. He then fell behind and began walking beside me.

"Sorry you didn't get to meet my wife yesterday. She popped out for an errand and just missed you." he said.

"And that's the reason why I thought you were the captain." I said. He chuckled.

"No, just married to one. I know she may seem kinda...mean spirited, but trust me, she can be really sweet." he said.

"Kai! Come on, move your ass!" Jian shouted.

"Like I said, really sweet." he whispered, causing me to release a chuckle.

"So how do you two actually meet?" I asked.

"I met her when I became I guard. I was trained in Shanghai and after it was completed, I was sent to the Valley to become a full time guard. And when I arrived, I saw her. I was just..mesmerised by her beauty. I didn't presume much though, she was the captain and I was just a regular guard. But she did seem to take a liking to me. She would often invite me into her office just to talk. This went on for good long time until eventually I built up enough courage to ask her out to dinner. Despite us being close, I was still a nervous wreck, I thought I was gonna screw up until...some musicians began playing soothing music. Then...something inside me just clicked. I stood up, took her paw and began to dance. We rocked slowly side to side, her head on my chest and the moonlight shining brightly. She pulled her head away and we stared into each others eyes. Our heads began to close in until eventually our lips met. She's been my delicate little rose ever since." he replied, sighing happily. His story brought a massive smile to my face. It was actually a pretty sweet story.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have a special someone in your life?" he question made me feel a little down. I sighed.

"No. I never had anyone special. Women just avoid me like I'm the plague or something." I said.

"Hey, there's someone for everyone. You'll find someone special, you'll see." he assured. Somehow I doubt that. If human females didn't take a liking to me, I doubt anyone here will. Even if they do, dating an animal just seems wrong to me. I know they talk and act like humans do, but I still can't get past their appearance, it would just seem off putting.

"I can only wait until then." I said. After talking with Kai for some time, we eventually arrived in a forest, where soldiers stood guard waiting for us.

"What's the situation?" Jian asked.

"You might want to see for yourself." a guard suggested. He then turned and led us deeper into the forest until...oh my god. The ground was destroyed with dried blood,bits of flesh. Alongside it was the remains of rhino soldiers. By a tree truck the carriage was turned on its side, with the cell door wide open.

"Holy crap." Mantis muttered.

"What the hell happened?!" Jian asked, with a raised voice.

"We're not completely sure. There was no witnesses at the time. A traveler found the carriage this morning. We know that dynamite was used to blow the carriage on its side, while also killing the guards." one guard answered. Jian rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"They usually have a run in with a bandit or two, but this...who would do this? And why?" Kai asked.

"I don't care why. I just want to find out who it was and have his ass executed! This is just monstrous!" Jian spat. Kai placed a paw on her shoulder, calming her down. He then turned to the guard.

"Do We have any leads? Anything?" Kai asked.

"Well, we questioned a farmer, whose farm is on the other side of the forest. He heard the explosion And mistook it for kids messing with fireworks. He saw figures running out of the forest and disappear into the mountains." the guard answered.

"I suppose that's enough to go on for now. I want guards sent up to those mountains first thing tomorrow morning and find who did this. For now...we must bury our dead and clean this mess up." Jian said, overlooking the massacre. Some guards sent off for a cart to carry the remains of the dead soldiers to the Valleys cemetery. The carriage was pulled back onto its wheels and was also taken back to the Valley for repairs. After cleaning up, we began to head back to the Jade Palace.

"Who would have done such a thing?" Viper asked.

"Don't know. Juan and the rest of them didn't have any other friends, so I doubt anyone was willing to risk their lives to free them." Crane answered.

"And where did they get dynamite to do the job? You can't exactly buy it in a store." Mantis said.

"We might have answers tomorrow when Jian sends some guards up into the mountains. For now we should get back to training." Monkey suggested.

"Let's go then." Crane said, as we all hurried up the five million steps and to the training hall.

One hour earlier in the mountains...

A tall, strong built lion stands alone on a cliff near the side of a mountain. He is equipped with traditional Chinese armour and a massive sword sheathed on his back. Around his waist is a belt with two daggers sheathed on each side. His mane blows in the wind as he stares down a hand telescope, silently observing the figures on a dirt path heading to a forest. After they had entered the forest, he closes the telescope and shoves it into his pocket. He turns and begins walking down a path. After a short walk he comes to the entrance to cave. He steps inside and presses a stone slab, causing a stone wall to shift. He heads inside and is greeted with the light of torches hanging on the wall. He dwells deeper into the cave until eventually the sound of people conversing and laughing can be heard. He walks past an archway until a massive room is revealed. So massive, over a hundred men could fit. And that's exactly what it did. It was filled with hundreds of different animals sitting at various tables, talking laughing and arm wrestling. Racks upon racks and weapons were placed against the wall alongside training dummies and targets for arrows. The lion went down a short set of wooden steps and set foot into another room. This one being smaller with a wooden table, a set of wooden chairs, two torches brightening up the room, a cabinet and a single straw bed. On the cabinet, several bottles of wine and glasses were set on a shelf. On the table, there was a map of China displayed, with circles around every major city and town.

"Ah, sir, you've returned." a voice came from behind the lion. He turned and was greeted by a male mountain lion. He wore light armor and had a sword sheathed on the right side of his belt.

"I have. It would seem our little 'accident' last night has drawn attention of the Valley of Peace's Captain and the furious five." the lion replied with a wicked smile. The mountain lion let out a short laugh.

"If only they knew that it was just the beginning." he then mimicked his smile. The lion walked to the table and placed his paws on it.

"It'll be time soon. This whole country will get what's coming to them," he then lifted his head,"How are our new brethren settling in?" he asked standing up straight, placing his paws behind his back.

"They've been fitted with armor and now are being trained how to wield a weapon properly." the mountain lion answered.

"Have you explained what they'll be fighting for?"

"No sir, I figured I'd wait for you." the lion nodded and left the room, with the mountain lion following behind. They headed down a pair of wooden stairs and began heading towards the training equipment. Every table they past, the animals got up and bowed. They arrived at the training area and noticed the four new recruits training.

"Neuji, you're holding the weapon wrong!" Juan said. The cheetahs expression turned to anger.

"I think I know what I'm doing, Juan." Neuji said.

"My ass, you probably couldn't even slice bread with that if you tried." Juan mocked.

"Hey, screw you!" Neuji spat back. The two wolves just watched in amusement as their friends began to fight.

"Something wrong?" the lion asked. The four turned to face the massive figure.

"Oh eh, no just training." Neuji replied.

"Yes of course. You arrived yesterday but I still don't know your names or why you were arrested. So why don't you tell me?" The four shared uneasy expressions.

"Well, I'm Neuji, thats Juan and the wolf brothers, Lao and Dao." Neuji replied.

"Well that covers the names. Why were you arrested?" Juan then narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked. The lion gave a threatening gaze, causing him to gulp in fear.

"We tried to rob a store." Neuji replied.

"Something tells me that this wasn't your first robbery."

"No, it wasn't." Juan said.

"When did you all first steal something?"

"Well..when we were kids we didn't have much, so...we kinda had to steal food. It was jut scraps at first but we were still hungry so we had to steal more." Neuji said.

"You needed it to survive. I understand. But tell me, did the local guards understand?" the lion inquired. Neuji sighed.

"No, they branded us a thieves, the whole town shunned us. Just making our lives more miserable."

"So you have felt the cold hand of injustice. As we all have. These people who honestly believe rehabilitation works. How could they? They're they ones who have a well paid job and respected by everyone, while those who make a mistake are shunned and cast aside. Even after they've served their sentence, society refuses to give them a second chance. And that's what we're fighting for. A chance to change things, to bring a whole new order to this country and give everyone an equal status. So tell me my friends, are you willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that we achieve this goal?" the four stared at one another, taken back by this opportunity to finally get something out of life other than being put down by people. They turned to the lion.

"Yes." they replied in unison. The lion smiled.

"Sir, Hai is back." the mountain lion unformed. The lion turned to see a hawk flying in the cave with a scroll being held by its feet. It landed on his shoulder and presented the scroll. He took it and dismissed the hawk. He removed the ribbon, opened it and read it contents. He smiled before rolling it up.

"Resume your training. Come, Shong." he said, turning leading the mountain lion back into the small room. He takes a quill and inkwell from beside the bed and brings it to the table.

"What's going on sir?" Shong asked. The lion raised his head, a devilish grin plastered on his face.

"It's time." he replied. Shong released a short laugh.

"Where do we start?" the lion dipped the quill in ink and drew an 'X' over a small town.

"A little town, known as Shinghou." he replied.

"How many men will we need?"

"Very few, the guard outpost there has few guards. It should be an easy start. Being the new recruits, see how they fare in battle." Shong nodded before taking off. The lion placed his paws behind his back and laughed inwardly.

"This...is just the beginning."


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: just the beginning_

The moon shun brightly over the small town of Shinghou. A small number of guards were on patrol walking up and down the streets, with their eyes pealed for any criminal activity. So far, all is quiet. The people have returned to their homes and the guards are about to switch shifts. Two guards walk side by side, heading to the barracks to be relieved of duty.

"Did you hear about what happened to the guards from the Valley of Peace?" one guard asked the other. The other nods.

"Yeah, Shiji was one of the guards who helped clean up. He told me everything that happened."

"It's crazy to think that bandits have gotten their hands on dynamite." the first guard said.

"There have been raids on our cargo for the past few years. Whenever a town needs supplies like weapons and armor, they get ambushed. It's like they know where they gonna be before they're there." the first guard raised a brow.

"And they haven't be caught?" the second guard shook his head,"Unbelievable"

"You don't think the Japanese are involved? You know what they're like." the second guard asked.

"Seriously? Come on, it's been over six years since the war, everyone's moved on since then. It took a while but we've built a healthy relationship with Japan." the first guard replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Look I gotta take a leak, wait for me here." the second guard then headed down an abandoned alley while the other guard turned in the opposite direction and waited. The second guard headed around a corner and reached a dead end. He then stood inches away from a wall and began to relieve himself. It wasn't before long until he heard footsteps behind him.

"Hey, come on, give me a bit of privacy," he said, only for the footsteps to draw nearer very slowly,"I said-" the rhinos sentence was hushed and replaced with the of a blade. He began to make sickly sounds as a dagger was lodged in his throat, causing blood to spray all over the wielder of the dagger. His vision darkened and the last image he sees is a lion with a demonic expression. The guards body slowly slides down the wall as he releases a final breath. The lion raises his dagger and stares at it, watching the blood drip from his blade.

"Hey, do you want to take any longer?" the other guard shouted, his voices echoing in the alley causing the lion to turn. He then begins to slowly exit around the corner, greeted by the sight of another guard, who's back is turned to him. He creeps slowly, tightening his grip around his blade.

"Seriously, I'm just gonna leave if-" he words are muffled as a paw wraps itself around his mouth, silencing him as he jabs his dagger into his back. The rhino releases loud muffling sounds, until they become more silent and then he flops to the ground. Four figures step out of the shadows from behind the lion and join him by his side.

"Remember, leave the civilians alive. We're here only for the guards." the lion said.

"Yeah, you told us that already." Juan said, annoyed. The five then kept to the shadows as they began silencing every guard they came across. On the other side of the town, Shong and a few others were also silencing guards. One by one, every archer and swordsman was put down, until the lion, Shong and the rest gathered in front of the barracks.

"Clear out whoever is inside." The lion then waves his paw, gesturing for them to enter. Shong, kicks the door down and they all storm inside. The lion stands outside and removes a stick of dynamite from his belt and a box of matches from his pocket. The sound of blades slicing can be heard along with screams of they soldiers about to meet they're maker. Shong and the test flood outside, they're faces and body's covered in blood.

"It's done sir." Shong informed.

"Good, now return home." the lion said. They all then began to sprint as fast as they could out of the town. The lion strikes a match and lights the fuse on the dynamite. He throws inside the building, turns and leave. Behind him, the dynamite explodes causing the building to crumble. Lights in houses begin to flicker on as people look out their windows in panic. A fire blazes over the remains of the barracks. The lion, outside the town, smiles wickedly as he heads towards home.

"Just the beginning," he says to himself, as the sound of screaming and panic can be heard behind him in the distance,"Just the beginning."

At the Jade Palace...

"Can't believe she broke up with me. I loved her so much! I could swear she was the one." Mantis said sadly.

"You were going out with her for like three days. I don't think you could declare marriage within that time." Monkey said. We were in the kitchen eating dinner after a long day of training. Like yesterday, the tiger left earlier than the rest of us, so it was just me, Crane, Viper, Mantis and Monkey. The goose, or Zeng as I've heard him been called, delivered a letter to Mantis from his 'Girlfriend' who's apparently moved out of the Valley and is breaking up with him. Despite how devastated he look, I couldn't help but find the situation amusing.

"I know, I know! But it just FELT like it was meant to be." he said.

"Just like it 'felt' like it was meant to be with last few hundred women you've dated?" Monkey asked.

"Hey, I can't help it if I fall in love so easily."

"Love? You sure that's the only thing you were hoping to get out of the relationship?" Crane asked. Mantis narrowed his eyes.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Does 'No I will never to that with you ever, you pervert' come to mind?" Mantis's face turned red.

"T-that was just one girl." he said, covering his cheeks embarrassed.

"One? Are you sure?" Viper asked. Mantis let out an annoyed grunt.

"You know it's no fun when you guys always gang up on me!" Crane, Monkey and Viper shared a laugh.

"Come on, you know we're only teasing." Viper said.

"Well its not funny." Mantis pouted. The three then released an 'awwww' causing me to laugh.

"That's it, I'm going to bed." Mantis leapt off the table and out he door. Monkeys laughter died down.

"Yeah me too, I'll see you all in the morning." he got up off his chair and left the kitchen. Viper yawned.

"I'm feeling more tired than usual. Crane, could you do the dishes for me?" Viper asked with drowsy eyes.

"Of course Viper. You go get some sleep."

"I'll give you a hand Crane." I said, standing up.

"Thanks guys, goodnight." Viper said, before taking her leave. Crane and I gathered the others bowls and took them to the sink.

"Hey Crane, you never really told me how you ended up training here." I said, starting up a conversation.

"Ah well, it's kind've a long and..pathetic tale." he said.

"I wouldn't mind hearing it."

"Well...okay. I came to the Jade palace about sixteen years ago. Before that I was a...janitor at the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy." he said.

"A janitor?" he nodded,"Funny way of starting off in Kung Fu."

"Well I did want to train there and become a Kung Du warrior but...they thought I was too skinny. And the only position for me there was a janitor. My whole life I wanted to study Kung Fu. I went to the academy to fulfill my dream only to have it crushed. After that, any bit of confidence I had, was just erased. I spent nearly two years there just because I couldn't get another job." he face saddened.

"Damn, that must have been hard. Surely there was something good there?" I smile spread across his face.

"Well there was one. My friend, Mei Ling. she befriended me one day. We just bumped into each other. I, like an idiot, could barely get a single word out, every word I stuttered. I figured I blew my only chance of making a friend, but she just laughed and thought it was cute. We made small talk here and there, until I finally was able to speak normally. Since then, she's been my best friend. She was also the one who encouraged me to try out for the school again. I was a little reluctant at first, but then I realised that someone actually believed I could do it. So I trained and trained until the day of the try outs."

"And what happened?" I asked. His face, once again, was devoid of a smile.

"They laughed at me. They even said out loud that I was too skinny. I felt even more empty that the first time. After the instructor had finished laughing at me, he told me to clean up the hall. I walked straight into the obstacle course and didn't even notice. The instructor told me to step out slowly. But my eyes locked with Mei's. Then she nodded. And just like that I felt something built up inside me. And stepped further into the course and began dodging, spinning and flying way through and then...I did it. I finished the course. They accepted me into the academy and my life of In Kung Fu began there. Years later Master Oogway had visited the academy. The great Master Oogway had come to the academy, and he wanted to speak to me. He said I had much talent, talent that could that could be used for something greater. So he asked me if I wanted to train at the Jade Palace. I was reluctant at first. I did t want to leave my best friend behind, but Mei encouraged me to go and so I did. And I've been training here ever since," he sighed,"Well that just about covers it." he finished his story at the same time we finished cleaning the dishes.

"So this 'Mei Ling' girl, do you still keep in touch?" I asked.

"We send each other letters every so often. I hope to see her again someday. Anyway thanks for listening to my story, you're a good friend." his last words made me feel something strange in my body.

"You look at me...as a friend?" I asked, not quite sure i heard right.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? You seem like a good guy and you've saved my life."

"Well its just...people usually interested in making friends with me. They usually just ignore me."

"Well not us. We're your friends. And we're gonna make sure you go from student to Master in no time." I was a little taken back from what he said. I've never really had any friends growing up. I was usually the one centred out of a group. And to have someone say to me that they're my friend is...a little touching.

"Thanks Crane." I said smiling.

"No problem. Now we should get some sleep." he said. I nodded in agreement as we both left the kitchen and headed for the barracks to sleep in for the night. We arrived and said goodnight to one another before retreating into our rooms. I removed my vest and laid down on my bed. Even though I was starting to make friends and getting, somewhat used to living here. I still had many answered questions. In time, I hope they're answered. But for now I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to just go along with everything that's going on. Yeah, it's not normal, but it wasn't the worst thing to happen. It's actually good. I'm finally making friends, I'm learning martial arts and I'm living in one of the the most beautiful countries in the world. Maybe giving this place a chance wouldn't be so bad. I smiled and sighed happily. I then drifted off to a deep slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: finding new places, finding a new friend

The rain was coming down hard along with lightning. I stood there staring at the stone tablet. Regret, blame and loneliness was bombarding me. At that moment, I felt like my life was over. The only person I loved and depended on was gone. I'm felt empty and completely devoid of life. The worst part of it is...it's my fault. This all could have been avoided if I had just grown a pair and stood up for myself. But I didn't. And now I've lost the only person who cared for me. I brought my hands to face and fell to my knees. Why? Why did did have to happen?! I couldn't hold in my emotions any longer. I began crying loudly, begging for this just to be a nightmare. Suddenly, the dirt in front of the grave began to move. I jumped back and landed on my back as a rotten hand exposed itself from the dirt mound. My eyes widened and my mouth opened ajar. Another hand burst out of the ground, planting itself on the grass. They both then pushed against the ground lifting itself out of the ground. I began breathing rapidly and was to scared to even move. A rotten corpse pulled itself out of the ground and stood up straight. Various parts of its body was had skin missing, it's hair ragged and dirty and his upper lip ripped off, exposing what was left of its upper teeth. They began to stumble towards, groaning.

"You...caused...this," it spoke with a raspberry tone. It came closer, "You...CAUSED...THIS!" it lunged forward and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I shot up straight breathing quickly. I felt a cold sweat running down my face. I looked around the room and noticed I was still in the Jade Palace. I shook my head, violently and brought my hands to my head. Not again. Not again! Why now?! Why wouldn't it just leave me alone?! I might have something good going here and and just when it seems like it, that memory would have to play in my mind wouldn't it?! I sighed and buried my face into my hands. My eyes widened when I remembered about the morning gong. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my vest and waited by the door for it to ring. I then faceplates myself when I remembered it was Saturday. Which, according to Viper, is a day off. I open my doors and peeked outside. The first thing I saw was Tigress's door open and Tigress herself, sitting with her legs crossed and eyes closed, most likely meditating. I should try to sneak out of the barracks, so I wouldn't disturb her.

"I see you've finally dragged yourself out of bed." I heard her say. Not even five feet out of my room and she caught me. She's good.

"Yeah uh...I'm kind've a heavy sleeper." I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"I suggest you start training your body to wake up more early. Especially for training."

"Yeah, I'll try, thanks for the advice. I'm..I'm gonna now. I guess I'll see you later," she didn't respond, but instead just closed her eyes and continued meditating, "Alright then..." I then headed down the hall and stepped outside. Once again, the sunlight shun brightly but only provided a fraction of warmth. Regardless I still felt pretty warm with just my vest and pants. My thoughts began to form around Tigress. Why did t she want a friend and why does she seem to distant from the others? Master Oogway mentioned something about her and Shifu having a troubled past. Maybe she had a bad experience with a friend or something and that's why she doesn't want another. After being in thought for a while I realised I had a whole day ahead of me and didn't have anything to do. Well I could go explore the Valley and see what else in has to offer. But I wasn't sure about going alone. The animals did spend half the time staring at me. I could put my hood up and try to ignore them. I pondered for a bit before throwing up my hood and heading down to the Valley. After heading down the steps, I took a deep breath and began walking through the Valley. Some animals started, others just continued with their own business. I just ignored the ones who stared and began to walking through the streets, exploring. This place was pretty amazing. I had already mentioned that it was full of life so I won't repeat all over again. I walked with my hands behind my back, observing the animals going about their business. One noticeable little attraction was a puppet show that seemed to be going on. Children sat down watching and laughing as the puppets began to playfully hit one another. I released a small smile and continued walking. I must have dazed away because I wasn't watching where I was going and seemed to have bump into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said, returning back to reality. As my eyes fixed onto the person I bumped into I realized it was Hua-Ling.

"Oh that's quite alright," she said, dusting herself off before raising her head, "Oh it's you! How have you been?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine. And yourself." She released a smile.

"Just fine, thank you. I was just on my way to pick up some shopping, but I bumped into you."

"No, it was my fault, I bumped into you. I wasn't watching where I was going, sorry." she giggled.

"Oh don't worry about. But I'd you're truly sorry, I'm sure you can make it up to me by helping me get some groceries back to shop."

"Uh, sure. You'll have to lead though, I'm not quite sure where everything is."

"No problem. On the way to the store, I can list out a few point of interests"

"Alright then lead the way." I then followed her as she headed down a street. On the way to the store, she began pointing out various stores and other points of interest. This place definitely was bigger than it looks.

"...over there is Mr Pings noodle shop and over there is a candy store. Just for those with a sweet tooth." I looked around and smiled. This place just really is amazing.

"This defiantly seems like a good place to live." I said.

"It certainly is. And a wonderful place to set up shop. Anyway we're here." she announced. We both stood outside a shop that seemed familiar. And then it hit me. This was the store where I first met Crane and Viper. As we stepped inside, I noticed that the place was much more in order that it was when the bandits tried to rob it. The shopkeeper was humming a tune to herself as she stacked items on shelves. She must have heard us approach to counter because she had stopped humming and turned towards us.

"Ah, hello Ling and...hey, I remember you. Yes, you helped deal with the bandits! Thank you again." she said. I rubbed my head.

"Heh, no problem." I said with a smile.

"Anyway, what can I help you with?" she asked. Ling pulled out a list from her pocket and handed it to the duck. The duck read the list, "Ah, alright I shouldn't be too long." she then took out a brown paper bag and started to fill it with items that were on the list. She then handed the bag to Ling and Ling then handed the duck a small pouch with contained coins.

"Thank you, Ruby." she said.

"No problem, have a nice day." she waved. We then turned and and left. When we stepped outside, I noticed Ling seemed to be having trouble holding the bag. I wouldn't blame her though, she did buy a lot of things.

"Here," I took the bag from her, "I'll help you with that."

"Why thank you. I should have you come shopping with more often." We both shared a short laugh. We began idle chat on the way to her shop until we walked past a couple of guys hanging out by a shop.

"Hey, hey! How you doing Hua? You're looking fine" one said.

"Don't I always?" she asked.

"You free this week for a date?" another asked.

"Sorry, but being home alone would seem more engaging that a date with you." she said. I just watched in amusement as Ling began putting the men in their place. After she had crushed their hopes of ever getting a date with her.

"I see you're very popular with the males" I said.

"It's my burden to bear. I've been asked out by just about every man in the Valley. Some were even single," I left out a laugh as she sighed, "If only they knew, no man would peek my interest."

"I'm sure there's some guy out there good enough for you." My words seemed to have brought confusion upon her. She then let out a nervous laugh.

"I may have used the wrong words there. What I meant was...even if one of them were the last man on earth...I still wouldn't go out with him." Her words puzzled me for a brief moment until I pieced it together.

"Oh! You..you mean..you're..you're a-"

"A lesbian, yes. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"What? No, of course not. I-I just..didn't know." he rubbed her arm.

"Well it's not exactly something you go announcing to the world."

"Hey, I have no problem with your sexuality. And even if I did, it wouldn't matter. If it's what you feel most comfortable with, what's wrong with that?"

"I'm glad you can be do open minded about it. Others can be too, but there's still people who believe there's something wrong with it." she averted her gaze, frowning.

"Hey, come on now. It's not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. You're still you. Nothing's changed. You're not cashing any harm to anybody else. And if anyone else sees it differently, to hell with em'" she smiled on again.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Ben." I smiled.

"No problem." We arrived at her shop and I set the bag of supplies down on her counter.

"I guess you'll be heading off now. Unless you'd like to stay for some tea?" she asked.

"Well, I do have a day off and I don't really have anything else to do, so sure." she smiled and ask me to follow her. I did and she led me upstairs. We then her kitchen and she ask me to sit down on a chair near a table. She then put a kettle over a stove, got to cups and placed a tea bag in each one. She then sat down opposite to me.

"This is handy. A house on top of your shop." I said.

"It certainly can be. There's no rush to get the shop open in the morning and it's just cozy in general," she then smiled, "Speaking of being cozy, you certainly seem comfortable in them clothes." I looked down at my vest dusted it off.

"Yeah, you certainly know what you're doing with clothes."

"That's why I have a shop. I've always been kinda girly, unlike my sister." she said, getting up to take the kettle of the stove.

"You have a sister?" I asked. She began pouring the hot water into the cups.

"I do now. Well, what I mean was I didn't have a family before. I was left at an orphanage when I was just a cub. When I was six I was adopted into the Ling family. I finally had a family. A mother, father and of course a loud adventurous big sister," she then turned to me, "Maybe Crane mentioned her name to you?"

"Wait, you mean Mei?"

"That's the one."

"Yeah, Crane told me he was friends with her. I didn't know she was your sister." Ling put milk and sugar it each cup, gave one to me and sat down with her own.

"You can defiantly see the difference between us. I wanted to create clothing to bring out the beauty in people...and she wanted to punch things," I laughed at her comment, "Still, her tomboyish nature did seem to come in handy. When we were kids, I used to get picked on. And when Mei found out, she used her 'unique charisma' to make sure it didn't happen again."

"Sounds like a sibling can come I handy." I said.

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?" I shook my head.

"I was an only child. I never really had any friends. And because of that, I was an easy target for bullies." I frowned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It must have been hard. But it's all in the past now. Now, you have friends, you have the honor of training at the Jade Palace and you have a bright future ahead," Despite her kind words, I still felt pretty down. She then placed her paw over my hand, "Come on now. It may have been bad, but you've got something better now. So about a smile?" After a short moment I released a smile. So Hua and I continued to talk for almost an hour and a half. I finished my tea and was standing at her doorway.

"Well its been great speaking with you Ling."

"You as well. I hope to see you soon."

"You too." suddenly, she wrapped her arms around me and placed her head on my chest. I then placed my hands around her and hugged her backed.

"Thanks for a great day." She said.

"Heh, no problem. Goodbye, Ling."

"Farewell, my friend." she said, waving and closing the door behind her. I looked up to the sky I noticed the sun was setting, so I decided to head back up to the Jade Palace. I made my way up to the Palace and headed for the kitchen. Usually about now, dinner is being cooked. After entering the entrance to kitchen, the sound of cooking could be heard. I then entered the kitchen itself and saw Viper cooking dinner, alone.

"Hello, Viper." she turned and noticed me. She then smiled.

"Oh hello! I figured you'd gone with Mantis and Monkey to the bar."

"I didn't even know they went to a bar. I woke up late, headed down to the Valley to get a feel of the place and bumped into Ling. I spent the day with her."

"Oh, you did? How did that go?"

"I guess it's safe to say I've made a new friend."

"Thats great! So tell me...did she...mention anything particular about herself?" She asked. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Yeah, she told me."

"And what did you say?"

"I said that I have no problem with her sexuality and that whoever did, should learn to deal with it." Viper smiled.

"I'm glad you're supporting her. She told me as well a week after I met her. I've tried to convince her to be more open with it, but she's so afraid of what others might think. So far, only Me, her sister, her parents and you know."

"You should give her time. I'm sure she'll open up when she feels most comfortable."

"I hope so. I just want her to be happy." Viper continued to stir the soup until we heard someone else enter the kitchen.

"You're drunk, Mantis." I heard Monkey say.

"Wha? No! I'm just really tired and dizzy, I sear." Mantis slurred. The two then entered the kitchen. Mantis seemed to be clinging onto Monkeys fur, trying not to fall off.

"Oh really?" Monkey raised three fingers, "How many fingers are my holding up." Mantis narrowed his eyes and tried to focused on the hand that was literally right in front of him.

"Ehh...seven."

"No. It's official: you're drunk." Mantis fell off his shoulder and onto the table.

"No...y-you're drunk!"

"I think it's beddy-time for you Mantis." Viper suggested.

"No! No beddy-time. I just..just." Mantis was unable to finish his sentence and he just flopped to face down on the table and began snoring. We all just laughed.

"He really should try and drink less." Viper said.

"Why? It's not like it's brain cells are doing him any use." Monkey said. Viper and I started to laugh. After some time the rest of the guys returned from wherever they were and began having dinner. A debate commenced about wether or not to draw crude drawings on Mantis as punishment for coming in drunk. I didn't take part in and just listened and laughed. Dinner had finished and we all headed for the barracks. Monkey had to carry Mantis to his room, he threw him on his bed and closed his doors.

"No...five more minuets, please." Mantis slurred. I returned to my room, removed my vest and laid down on my bed. Today certainly was a good day. I got to explore the Valley and most importantly I made a new friend. I remembered what she about having a bright future. Maybe I do, I really hope so. I also hope that...I can forget about my past. It then returned, the memory from this morning. I shook my head violently. I just...I just needed to forget and I'll be okay. I'll be okay...I'm gonna be fine. I closed my eyes and prayed that I could wake up easy tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Gathering info: Irish edition

I felt my eyes begin to flutter open, but my vision was blurry. I rubbed my eyes until everything around me came into focus. I sighed in relief when the sight of my room came into focus. No nightmares, thank god. I sat up on the bed and stretched while yawning. I grabbed my vest and put it on.

'Looks like I'll have to find some else to do all day.' I thought, realising I have a lot of time to kill. Out of nowhere, I heard a faint moan.

"Just drink it, it'll help with the hangover." I heard Monkey say. I opened my doors and noticed the doors the Mantis's room was open. I walked over and peeked inside. I saw Mantis lying on its back with Monkey standing over him.

"I said...I'm not drinking that crap." Mantis said.

"You want to go around with a pain in your head?" Monkey asked.

"Come on, I've faced thousands of bandits, raiders and pirates and endured a lot more pain than this. I'll be fine." Mantis replied, holding his head.

"You guys alright?" I asked. They both turned and noticed me standing by the doorway.

"Yeah, we're good. Well I'am at least, can't really say the same for Mantis." Monkey replied.

"Im fine. Just a little headache." Mantis said. Monkey shook his head annoyed.

"I've tried to get him to drink this to clear up his hangover, but he just keeps refusing." Monkey said, holding up a small cup filled with a liquid.

"I don't need it, I can handle the pain." Mantis protested. Monkey sighed in defeat.

"Fine, have it your way." He then placed the cup next to Mantis's bed.

"Finally..ugh..now can we just go do what Master Shifu asked?" Mantis asked Monkey. I raised a brow.

"What did Master Shifu ask you to do?" I asked.

"He told us to ask the captain about to attack on Shinghou. Apparently, someone took out the guards that were posted there. And destroyed their barracks." Monkey replied.

"Whoa, seriously?" Monkey nodded, "Damn, that's crazy."

"I know, and the worst part is, whoever did it, wasn't caught, they just vanished." Monkey said.

"And Master Shifu wants us to go down and ask the captain if we can lend a hand capturing whoever did it." Mantis added.

"Don't suppose you mind if I tag along? I haven't really got anything to do." I asked. They both nodded.

"Sure. Come on, we should head down now." Monkey said. Mantis then managed to pull himself up and wobbled out the door. When he got up he back was exposed and an image was drawn on it. It was eh...a picture of...the male reproductive organ, curtsey of Monkey. Monkey and I were then trying to suppress a laugh, which caught Mantis's attention.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Monkey managed to say through snickering. Mantis just turned and left his room.

"You're quite the artist, Monkey." I said, laughing openly.

"I try." he said, releasing a laugh of his own. After heading down the steps from the Jade Palace, Mantis discovered what were laughing at. He cursed at us and began erasing the drawing. After walking through the streets for a short while, we arrived at the barracks and stepped inside. Inside, there was a number of different animals shouting.

"They killed all the guards!" a goose shouted.

"Bandits attacked our town and stole our supplies!" a pig shouted.

"People! People, please try and stay calm. A letter has been sent the the General in Hong Kong. He will be sending another group of guards to your town within a week." a guard said.

"A week?! We won't last that long with bandits coming in and out of our town!" a goat said fearfully.

"It's the best we can do. For now, a few guards here will be sent to your town for the time being." the guard said. While the crowd continued to erupt into panic, we slipped past and headed the Jian's office. We knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in." We heard Kai say. We stepped inside the see both Kai and Jian over her desk, looking at a piece of paper.

"Ah hello, I take it you've heard the news," Kai said. We nodded, "It's a tragedy."

"Yeah we know. We're here to help in anyway we can." Monkey said.

"We'll take any help you can offer." Kai said.

"Whoever did it is probably laughing in the goddamn shadows! No one was caught! Whoever this bastard is probably was the one who ambushed our cart as well." Jian said with anger in her tone.

"He couldn't have done it alone. There's no way one person could wipe out a whole guard outpost by themselves." Kai added.

"How can someone do that and not get caught?! Someone must have seen somebody suspicious." Jian said.

"I've questioned everyone from the town who's here. Nobody saw anything." Kai said. Jian slammed her paws down on the desk in anger. Kai then turned to us.

"If you could gather any information at all, please do." he said. We nodded and then left the building.

"If know one in there knows anything, who would?" Monkey asked. Mantis went deep into thought until it looked like he discovered something.

"Where would be the one place that you'd spill everything you knew?" He asked. Monkey shrugged.

"I dunno." he said.

"Okay. A place you'd spill everything you knew, given large amount of the same liquid?" It then came to me.

"The bar?" I answered.

"Bingo! I willing to bet that at least one person rushed to the nearest bar after something like that happened." Mantis said.

"This isn't just an excuse for you to go drinking again, is it?" Monkey asked.

"No, I've learned my lesson...for a while." he replied with shifty eyes.

"Well if you believe we might get information there, then let's go." Monkey said.

"Alright then. And hey, I can introduce you to our friend there as well Ben." Mantis said, turning to me.

"Alright then." I said, as I followed Monkey and Mantis to the bar. We headed past a lot of houses and shops until we came across a rather rough looking part of the Valley. Many animals looked less friendly that the animals I've seen. We then finally arrived at what I assumed was the bar.

"Ben, welcome to 'The Fearless Feline'" Mantis announced.

"Looks...cozy" I said, noticing a boar throwing up outside.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Mantis send. We then headed inside. Defiantly wasn't as welcoming as the outside was. Many of the animals seemed to be arm wrestling while others watched. Some clashed their drinks with another, while others clashed their drinks over someone's head. In the back of the room there seemed to be a poker table. The bartender, who was a boar, was cleaning glasses as animals rested their heads on the counter, snoring.

"Yeah...cozy." I repeated.

"It certainly is." Mantis said, clearly not noticing I was being sarcastic.

"So about your friend.." I began.

"Oh yeah, he's...he's." Mantis began to search around the room.

"No one steals money from us!" I said, coming from the corner of the room.

"I weren't stealing' nothin', I swear!" another voice said. This voice seemed have resembled an Irish accent.

"Don't lie to me, you little weasel! We know you cheated in that game!" We came around the corner and saw three ox's and seemed to be holding a brown furred lynx by his arms. The lynx was wearing an olive shirt with rolled up sleeves and black pants. Some fur on his head seemed to be fashioned in a spiky manner.

"What a load of shite! I never cheated ye's lying bastards!" the lynx spat. One ox then threw a punch into his stomach, causing him to fall to his knees. The lynx raised his head and noticed us, "Mantis, give us a hand would ye?" he asked. The ox's turned and saw us.

"You'll mind your business if you know what's good for you." one said, clenching his fists.

"Bar fight!" Mantis shouted, before lunging forward striking the ox in the face. Monkey leapt forward and started to fight the second one. The one holding the lynx dropped him and began approaching me. The lynx began crawling towards the bar, sat himself on a stool and ordered a drink. Seriously?

"You're going down, pal." the ox said to me, cracking his knuckles.

"The only thing going down, is the number of your teeth." I spat back, before throwing a punch into his mouth. He brought his hands up the his mouth and let out a painful yell. I then grabbed his horns, pulled myself up and head butted him. He yelled once again before releasing a threatening growl. As he charged towards me, I leapt into the air and dropkicked him into the chest. He flew back into the counter and held his chest in pain. The lynx then had just finished his drink and smashed his mug over the ox's head. He threw his arms up in victory as the ox fell to the floor, unconscious. Mantis and Monkey had then knocked out the ox's there were fighting and joined me and the lynx by the counter.

"Lucky you came along when ye did fellas. I'd be in serious shite If ye didn't." the lynx said, order another round. The bartender just seemed to treat that fight as an everyday occurrence and poured him a drink calmly.

"No problem man. What did they want anyway?" Mantis asked.

"We were playing a little innocent game of poker, when one of them accused me of .cheatin'! The feckin' cheek." He replied.

"And did you?"

"Well...yes, but that's not the point! Remember, I'm the victim here." Mantis just shook his smiling.

"Anyway, I believe an introduction is in order. Ben, this is Irish, Irish, this is Ben." I extended my hand, which he shook.

"Ah! The newest musketeer? Thanks fer helpin' me out fella." he said.

"Yeah no problem." Irish then turned to Mantis and Monkey.

"So you fellers here for a drink? It'll be on me." Mantis shook his head.

"Not today, but we need some information about the attack on Shinghou."

"Ah, I did hear about that. Shame what happened. But I could lend ye's a hand." Mantis leaned in closer.

"How?"

"Well, some fella came in earlier on and started ordering drinks like it was his birthday. He looked pretty fecked. He started blabbing on about bandits attacking his town, on account of there being no guards. He said on the night on the attack, he could've sworn he saw someone walk away after the explosion."

"Who was it?" Monkey asked.

"He couldn't quite make em out, but could make out that he had a mane."

"So the guy were looking for could be a lion?" Mantis asked.

"What? Naw, you could be looking for a duck. Of course you're looking for a lion ye eejit!"

"Is he still here? It might have some other information." Mantis asked.

"Nope. Had round after round until he couldn't walk straight. He left almost an hour ago."

"Alright, thanks for the info." Mantis said, leaping off the counter and heading for the door, with Monkey and I following.

"Same time next week, fellas!" we heard Irish shout, before we stepped out the door.

"Alright, we should get this information to the Jian." Monkey suggested. Mantis and I nodded in agreement and stated to head for the barracks once again. We went inside, knock on Jian's door and went in.

"You're back, good. Do you have any useful information?" Kai asked.

"I believe we do. Some guy who was from Shinghou, apparently saw a lion walking away from the town, right after the explosion." Mantis said.

"A lion? Well they're certainly not too hard to spot. Good work." Jian said.

"It's still not a whole lot to go on, love." Kai said.

"It's a a lot more than we had this morning. I'll start arresting every lion I see just find the one we're after, if that's what it takes."

"Alright, what's need to do is-"

"Captain!" I guard said, bursting into the room.

"What is it soldier?" she asked.

"Danjian, has been attacked!"

"What?!"


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: another attack, another nightmare_

Just outside the town of Danjian...

Figures lurked in the forest outside the town, with their eyes set upon it. One steps forward, his mane blowing in the wind.

"Get into position and wait for my signal." he said aloud. They all then dispersed scattering outside the town and hid. The lion stepped out from the forest and began walking towards the town. The guards outside the walls were conversing with one another when they saw the lion approach. His stature made the rhinos feel rather threatened, so they tightened their grip around their spears.

"Good day, gentlemen. Could you direct me to your barracks?" the lion asked. On guard narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I wish to speak with your captain."

"Well...you go straight in, head to the centre of town, take a left by the well and it should be right in front of you." the liom smiled.

"Thank you." he then suddenly drew two daggers and impaled the necks of the two guards. He pulled the blades out and the guards held their necks, slowly falling to the ground, huffing, begging for air, until their body's became lifeless. The lion walked past them and stepped foot into the town. Many people went about their business and other guards didn't seem to notice the lion or his daggers, which were saturated in blood. He headed further in town, reaching the centre, took a left by the well and set his eyes on a building ahead of him. Two guards standing outside saw him approach.

"Hey! Stay where you are! Why are you covered in blood?!" on guard asked raising his spear. The lion ignored his question and continued to approach the barracks, "This is your last warning, stay where-" the guard was unable to to finish his sentence as a dagger was thrown into his head along with the guard next to him. Their lifeless body's fell to the guard and the lion approached them. He gripped each dagger and pulled them out of their skulls. He kicked open the barracks doors and stepped inside. Five guards, who were sitting at a table playing cards, shot up from their seats.

"Good evening, gentlemen. I'm here to relieve you of your duty." the lion announced. The guards tried to go for their spears, but the lion leapt forward stabbing one in the back and wrapping his arm around another's neck. He pulled his dagger of one guards back and snapped the neck of the other. The other three retrieved their spears and rushed the lion. As one jabbed, the lion quickly evaded, spinning over the desk, causing cards to fall on the ground. He quickly sheathed his daggers, grabbed the arm of one guard and twisted it, until he hit it's breaking point. The guard then lost his grip on his spear and the lion grabbed it. He tightened his grip around it and stuck it into the guards back. A second guard then tried to go for his head. The lion pulled his head back, dodging it. He then punched the guards face, grabbed his wrist, twisted it and threw him to the ground and finished him off by stamping on him head. The final guard, dropped his spear and fell to his knees, begging for his life. The lion approached him slowly and stood over him. He then slowly began to remove the massive sword on his back. He brought the tip of his blade to the rhinos throat.

"You expect mercy? After what you've all done to me?" he asked, his face filled with anger, "You should feel grateful...that I give you a swift death." he then impaled his throat. The rhino began to make sickly gurgling sounds until he was motionless and his eyes closed. He pulled his sword from his throat and began to head further into the building until it reached the very last door which had 'Captains office' written on it. He turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

"I told you all to knock before...you...enter." the captain said. Sitting by the table was a Siberian tiger, staring an his unexpected visitor with a confused expression.

"Hello, captain." the lion greeted.

"Who the hell are you?!" he asked, jumping to his feet and taking out his sword.

"The one who's going to put you six feet underground," the lion replied. He let out a battle cry as he brought his sword down onto the tigers, breaking it in half. He then backhanded him, knocking him to the floor. He sheathed his sword, grabbed the tiger by his neck, lifted him up and off his feet, and hovered him in the air. The tiger began striking the lions arms and face, but his struggle was in vain, "You will suffer like everyone else," the lion said, tightening his grip around the tigers neck. The tigers struggle became weaker and weaker until the life had been drained from his body. The lion then threw him down on his chair. He pulled out a box of matches and a stick of dynamite. He struck a match and brought it to the fuse of the dynamite, priming it to blow, "Hold this for me, please." the lion said as he tossed the stick of dynamite to the dead tiger. The lion then exited the building and started to head for the towns exit. A massive explosion could be heard throughout the town and the barracks began to send concrete flying and the building itself collapsed. At the same time, Shong and the rest of the lions soldiers hopped over the walls and began to take out every guard they could find. The sounds of screaming and panic flooded the streets and the lion just kept walking, planning his next move.

The Valley of Peace guards barracks, hours later...

"What do you mean 'attacked', by who?" Jian asked.

"The townsfolk said there was over fifty men, wearing the same amour." the guard replied.

"Over fifty of who? Who were they?!"

"We don't know. But they seemed to have been led by a lion." the guard said. Jian slammed her fists down of the table.

"It's the same guy! I knew he couldn't have working alone." Kai said.

"We have to find this son of a bitch and take him down! Why would he do this? What is he trying to accomplish?" Jian asked.

"God only knows. But we've got to catch him before he tries anything else," Kai said, turning to the guard, "Did anyone see where they headed?"

"The townsfolk said they fled into the mountains."

"The mountains? Again? We already searched there and came up with nothing. I'll search again if I have to." Jian said, her face, full of anger.

"I'll send some guards up there agin to double check, just in case we missed anything. But for now, I think we should send a letter to the general in Hong Kong to let him know what happened." Kai said, placing a paw on Jian's shoulder. She then released a sigh, extinguishing her anger for the time being.

"Alright, we should try and get everyone to stay calm as well as we can," Jian said. She then turned to us, "Thank you for your help. We will let you know when we need more help." we nodded and then left the building.

"It's hard to think all this is happening." Monkey said.

"I know. Why would this guy do this?" Mantis asked. Monkey and I shrugged.

"I dunno, but we've got to do everything we can to try and stop him, before he attacks another town." Monkey replied.

"We should report everything know to Master Shifu." Mantis suggested. Monkey nodded in and agreement and we all headed back up to the Jade Palace. By this time the sun had set and the moon shun brightly in the sky. After searching for a short while, we eventually found him inside the massive hall with the dragon statue. When we went inside, he was pacing back and forth. He then saw us approach him.

"Master, Danjian was also attacked." Mantis said.

"I'am aware of this. Tigress, Viper and Crane rushed there as fast as they could. I'm awaiting their return. Do you have any other information?" he asked. Mantis nodded.

"Yes, apparently a lion is leading these attacks and after the attacks, the lion and his soldiers keep disappearing into the mountains." Mantis replied. Master Shifu brought his hand up to chin and began to dwell into thought. Suddenly, the doors to the hall burst open. We turned to see Tigress, Crane and Viper rush in.

"Master, we arrived to late. Every guard...was killed and the guards barracks was destroyed." Viper said. Master Shifu then let out an angered grunt.

"This is a disaster. We're suppose to protect these people and we failed." he said. Tigress then made a fist, placed it into left palm and bowed.

"We're sorry, Master." she said, bowing her head in shame.

"Apologies will not bring back the dead. We should have been more prepared," Shifu said, angrily. Tigress's ears then flattened at his words. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Have dinner and then rest for the night. I will see you all in the morning." he then left the hall. We all then shared a glance at one another and headed for the kitchen. During dinner, there wasn't too much talking. Everyone just quietly ate their dinner. I doubt anyone would like to talk after what happened. We finished our meal and headed to our rooms. I took off my vest, laid down on the bed and sighed. Just when things here started to go so well, all this happens. It's like anywhere I go, I bring the goddamn apocalypse with me. It was hard to believe that the towns were being attacked by this guy. Who was he? Why was he doing this? Did he have any reason at all, or was he just vindictive? I don't know. I just hope these people will be alright. After being in deep thought for a while, I drifted off to sleep. After a brief moment of darkness, an image began to form. A memory to be specific. I was sitting down on the floor drawing a picture of a boat. My colouring seemed to be all over, but I didn't care, I was having fun. Why does this memory seem familiar? Oh no...this...this was a suppressed memory. I was four at this time. No...please no. I felt my heart race as the door behind burst open. In stepped in a figure, drenched in rain, holding a bottle of alcohol in its hand. I shot up and felt my whole body shake. I began backing away.

"Where do you think you're going?" the figure said, with a threatening tone. It began to approach me slowly, "I come home, only to open the door to the sight of you." it pointed its finger at me, with gritted teeth.

"I-I'm sorry. I was colouring the boat-"

"Shut up!" the figured shouted, as it threw the bottle at me, striking me in the mouth. I held it in pain and began crying loudly.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, daddy." I said, holding my mouth. The figure finally came into focus. My father. The one person I was completely afraid of. His bloodshot eyes, filled with rage. His fists, shaking, ready to strike.

"You're sorry? Oh, you're sorry?! You're damn right you're gonna be sorry, you little mistake!" he lunged forward, grabbing me by the neck and threw across the room. I tied to crawl away, but he brought his feet down on my back, "You're a waste of money! Of space! Of food! You're a mistake! That's what you'll always be!" he then kicked me into the side. Curled up into a ball and continued weeping.

"M-m-mommy." I called out, begging for my mother to help.

"You're mother is just as useless as you. I don't need you or you're mother. You can provide for yourselves from now on, you pathetic shits. I'm leaving and I ain't coming back. You hear me Samantha! I'm leavin', you bitch! You can have our sorry excuse for a son and this dump of a house. A parting gift from me." my father then stepped over me and headed out the door, leaving it open. I cried loudly as the sound of rain echoed through the house. I then heard footsteps slowly approaching me from behind. I was then lifted slowly into someone's arms. I turned my head to see my mother crying, rocking me in her arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, sweetheart." she said. I wrapped my arms around her and continued crying. We stayed like this for a short while until...

"Why?" my mother asked. But...something was wrong. Something was not right. Her voice sounded...dark and deep. A slowly removed my head from her shoulders and let out a frightened gasp as I stated at her face. Her face had rotten flesh and skin ripped off. A pair of empty eye sockets stared at me and asked, "Why did you do this to me?"

"I shot up breathing heavily. I blinked multiply times before they came into focus. I tried to focus my breathing and stopped from hyperventilating. I looked around the room and noticed it was still nighttime.

'No...not again.' I thought fearfully. I sat up on my bed and noticed my hands were shaking. I then felt something on my cheek. I reached up with a shaky finger and brushed it across my cheek gathering...a tear? I then felt another slide my another one. I quickly wiped them away and buried my hands into my face. Everything I was trying to suppress, everything I was trying to forget, has come back to haunt me. What the hell I'm I suppose to do, now that I'm too scared to even sleep?! I got up from my bed and left my room. I...I just need a walk. I need to clear my head. I need to forget. I stepped outside and felt the cold wind hit my face. I shivered and threw up my hood. I had no idea why my memories are coming back. I wanted them gone. I never wanted to remember, so why are they coming back now?! I kept walking and walking until I was practically nowhere near the Jade Palace. I reached what looked like a spiral hill and on top of it looked like a peach tree. I climbed the hill, approached the tree, sat down and rested my head against the trunk. I gazed over the mountains and began to admire the view. The sight was truly breathtaking. I hope I don't sound like a broken record, if I do, I'm sorry. I sat there for some time until I noticed an orange light beginning to come up the hill, until it came into view. It turned out to be a lantern being held by Master Oogway.

"Having trouble sleeping?" he asked.

"Um...yeah, I guess." I replied.

"And why is that?"

"Well...I-it's just...I have trouble sleeping sometimes." I said, trying to sound too suspicious. He then came closer.

"I understand why you're hesitant to tell the truth. I understand you're pain." he said.

"I don't...I don't any pain. I just...have a few problems. Problems which my old friend alcohol could help with." I then averted my gaze towards the mountains.

"I see. You believe alcohol is a remedy to help ease your pain, yet you do not realize that it increases it."

"It helps me forget."

"For how long? Until you need another drink?" I was about to speak, but nothing came out. I just remained quiet, "I think it's time to face what you've been hiding for so long." his face seemed full of compassion. He honestly looked like he was willing to listen to my...problems. I shook my my head.

"No, no...I-I can't. I...just need time to think." I said, running my hands through my hair.

"You only delay the inevitable. You will have to face your past at one point in order to live peacefully in the present. But if this is your choice, then I cannot do anything but wait until we meet another time. But for now, I suggest you get some sleep. I know you're afraid to do so, but you need sleep so that you can get up for training tomorrow. You will need to improve your skills in order to face your destiny." he said. I just stared confused.

"Destiny? What destiny?"

"You will see in time. Now, go get some sleep." he said. I got up from the ground, still confused. I was about to head back to the barracks, but I turned and faced to old turtle.

"Thank you, for...trying to help. I really appreciate it." I said. I then turned and left. I arrived back at the barracks. I went back to my room and...well I'm sure you know my routine by now. I closed my eyes and began to ponder about what Oogway said. My destiny...his words echoed through my head. I then remembered that the voices I heard when I first came here said something similar. But what does it mean? What destiny? I...I'm just confused with all this. I hope soon everything starts making sense. I continued to think to myself until I drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: emptiness: a mutual feeling

I felt my eyes slowly open and felt more tired than usual. It took me a while to get to sleep last night. Great, I'm tired as hell and I have to get up very soon. I sat up and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes. I grabbed my vest, put it and and waited my the door for the morning gong. A short time passed until the gong rang. I opened the door fast and saw everyone else did the same.

"Good morning, Master." we all said in unison. Master Shifu eyed us all, me in particular, until he finally spoke.

"Have breakfast then head to the training hall." he said for turning and leaving. We all then headed for the kitchen. We reached the kitchen and went inside. Viper then began making breakfast and we all sat down silently. It wasn't before long until Mantis decided to break the silence.

"Hey, do you guys think the guy behind these attacks, will attack another town?" he asked, no one in particular

"If he does, we gotta stop him." Crane said.

"How can we if we don't even know which town he'll attack. When we got the message yesterday that Danjian was being attacked, by the time we arrived, we were too late." Viper said, weighing into the conversation.

"We'll find a way. We always do." Crane assured.

"We could look at the possible places he could strike next. Keep an eye on them every so often." Monkey suggested. Viper began fill bowls with porridge and her and Crane passed the bowls around the table.

"Going back and forth to each town? What if we're In one town and he attacks another?" Viper asked.

"Well we've got to do what ever it takes. We can't fail again." Tigress spoke up. It think that's the only time I've seen her join in a conversation at the table.

"She's right. We have to stop him, no matter how hard it may be." Crane said. We proceeded to eat breakfast and then headed to the training hall. Master Shifu was there and seemed to have been waiting for us. He told us to begin training, which we did. I was training with Mantis at the training dummies, but I had trouble staying awake.

"Ben! Look out!" I heard Mantis say.

"Huh?" I was too late to react to the arm from a spinning dummy and it struck me in the face. I held my face and then I was hit into the back. I went back and forth until I was finally tossed outside the centre of the dummies and onto the floor. Damn...every part of me practically hurts.

"You did not pay attention!" I heard Master Shifu say. I turn to see him approach.

"I-I'm sorry I-"

"I already said they're are no excuses! You should have stay focused. What if it was someone with a weapon? Would you have done? Fall asleep?"

"No, I-"

"Get up and try again." he shook his head, turned and walked away. I lowered my head and sighed.

"Hey, you okay, man?" Mantis asked.

"Yeah...yeah don't worry about it." I whispered. I got back up and continued to train. I felt rather depressed and trained with a frown. I deserved to be shouted at. I should've paid more attention. I am useless. I can hardly preform the simplest of tasks, without something going wrong. You ask me to screw in a lightbulb, I set the neighbourhood on fire. You ask me to make toast, and I construct an atom bomb. Why? Why I'm I so stupid? Why can't I do anything right? Everyone would be able to happier lives without me in them. I continued to dodge and block the arms of the dummies, while depressing myself with my thoughts. And because of my thoughts, brining me down, I was occasionally hit by an arm. We all trained for sometime, until Zeng and entered the hall.

"M-master Shifu, the captain as requested for the Furious Five and the new student to meet them at the guards barracks." he said.

"Very well, thank you Zeng. Students! Report to the captain down in the Valley." he announced. We all stopped training and headed down to the Valley. As we were walking through the streets, Viper started up a conversation.

"Hey Ben, I hope you're not feeling too down about Master Shifu shouting at you." she said. I sighed.

"I deserved it. I should've paid attention."

"Hey, come on, everyone makes mistakes. Doesn't mean you deserved to be yelled at." Crane said.

"You heard what he said. There is no excuses."

"Well you're a new student. You're hardly going to get everything down in just a few days. You'll get better overtime." Monkey assured. I just remained quiet as we continued walking until we finally reached the barracks. We stepped inside and headed to the captains office. He knocked and stepped inside.

"He struck again. The bastard struck again." Jian said. Her paws rested on her table and Kai was leaning on it.

"Where?" Mantis asked.

"Not one, but two small towns. Hyanji and Ghodue. Did them both in one night. I'm keeping sick and tired of that son of a bitch getting away every time!" Jian slammed her fists down hard.

"I don't believe it..." Viper said, sadly.

"He's attacked four towns already. The General the Hong Kong is getting overwhelmed with the amount of requests for replacements. And people are flooding the Valley seeking refuge, fortunately, we do have some good news," Kai said, waving his paw over a map of China, which was laid out on the table, "We've studied the pattern of his attacks," he brought a finger to a town, "He started in Shinghou then attacked Danjian, which is east of Shinghou. And east of Danjian is Hyanji and east of Hyanji..."

"Ghodue?" Monkey said.

"Exactly. Seeing the pattern here?"

"So, his sweeping east, attacking the towns in that direction?" Crane asked.

"We believe so. It's all we've got right now." Kai said.

"It's enough to go on for now," Jian said. She then brought down two fingers on two towns, "One of these towns are likely next then. When, however, is the big question."

"It could be at anytime. But my gut tells me tonight is when it'll happen." Kai said.

"Then we should spilt up and head to two of these towns before it gets dark. He might not just attack one, but if he does we need a way to signal the another town." Jian said.

"We could have a signal fire. Whichever town gets attacked, they signal the other one for help." Kai suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. We ready for this?" Mantis asked. Every nodded, with a face of determination.

"You bet your ass we are. We head out in an hour, so ready yourselves." Jian said. After an hour of preparing guards to head out, we left the Valley and headed for the towns. We worked out who was going where for the past hour. Jian was going to take a handful of guards, Mantis, Monkey and Crane. Kai took another handful of guards, Viper, Tigress and myself. After Kai and Jian shared a kiss, wishing each other luck and asked each other to stay safe, we headed down one dirt path while Jian headed down the other. We eventually arrived at the town. The guards here had received a letter from Jian, as well as the other town, to set up a small pile of wood and timber to be used as a signal fire. The sun began to set and we were patrolling the streets. Viper and I walked together as Kai and Tigress went their own way. A short time past and neither one of us spoke, until Viper broke the silence.

"Hey Ben, have you been feeling ok lately?" she asked.

"Yeah...I'm fine." I said, looking at the floor.

"Not very good at lying are you?" she joked. I sighed and she noticed my expression, "What's the matter?"

"I..I've just been having trouble sleeping lately."

"I'm sorry, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not really, no. I think it's just something I need to work out on my own. But...thanks for the offer. I think we need to focus on keeping this place." she nodded and we continued to walk. I looked around and saw people retreating into their homes, no doubt they've been told about the possible attack. Men, women and children, frightened of this guy who's going to cause chaos to their town. And I've been asked to held defend it. Me of all people.

"All the people have gone into their homes. We've got to push ourselves to the limit and stop this attack if it happens. We can't allow these people to live in fear." Viper said, her concerned eyes set on a male and female duck, hurrying their children into their house.

"And we've been asked to protect them. I probably shouldn't have come. You'd do much better without me." Viper looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Viper, I don't think you've noticed but I'm not exactly the greatest fighter around. I almost got killed by one bandit, if you haven't saved me. I'm fricking useless."

"Hey, you heard what Crane said earlier on, you'll get better."

"I'll get better by going up against trained soldiers? All that's going to happen is me screwing everything up and probably getting you all killed."

"That's not going to happen, we're gonna stopped this guy and you're gonna help. That's what's going to happen. You just need to believe in yourself." I remained quiet for a second before speaking.

"I...don't know if I can."

"You can. You can if you just try." I didn't respond. I just kept walking in silence. I think it mattered what she said. I don't think any amount of words could help me. It doesn't matter if I did believed in myself. I'll still end up failing. I...I guess...my father was right, I am useless. I'm always going to be useless. Time passed until everyone was in their homes and there was nobody but guards, Viper, Tigress, Kai and myself were walking through the streets. It was scary feeling, the fact that at any second we could be under attack. The feeling that no matter how hard you prepare, you could be killed in seconds and that looking at the sky could be the last thing you see. But, nothing's happening. Maybe this guy isn't going to attack, or is preparing to attack the other town. Where is now?

A an hour ago, in the mountains...

In the hidden cave, soldiers were together, sitting down talking and laughing at tables. Shong over seeing them, encouraging them to get ready for another attack soon. Up in a small room, a room of plotting, a lion lies down deep in slumber. His dreams..are ones that drive him forward with his attacks, heighten his aggressiveness and craving for revenge. The lion is walking down a hallway, of a house. He wears casual clothing and has a saddened expression on his face. He reaches the end of the hallway and looks inside a room. Inside a figure is sitting down, a worried expression on its face.

"Myan..." the lion muttered. The figure turns quickly to and reveals itself to be a lioness. She stands up and embraces the lion.

"You're back! I heard what happened. What they did..." The lioness spoke. The lion gently placed a paw on her face.

"Sweetheart...I...I need to tell you something." the lion said, with a saddened tone. Mayans face became overwhelmed with worry. She place a law over the lions on her face.

"It's...Huan, during the attack he...he was..." the lion couldn't finish his sentence as a tear fell down his cheek. Myan let out a stuttering gasp. She shook her head as her lip shivered.

"No, no, no! Not our little boy!" she shouted. She embraced the lion and cried loudly into his mane. The lion wrapped his arms tightly around her and cried as well. He rocked her in his arms for a short while. He used his fingers to lift her chin and stared into her eyes.

"It-it's gonna be ok. We're...gonna stay strong, we're gonna win this thing," he embraced her, "I promise we'll get past all this...together." as they cried together, the lion began hearing a faint voice, it got louder and louder until.

"Sir. Sir." the lions eyes open to the sight of Shong, waking him up.

"What is it?" he asked, angrily.

"Forgive me, sir, but it's almost time."

"Fine, gather some soldiers and prepare yourselves." Shong bowed before leaving. The lion sat up and run his fingers through his mane. He then slowly brought his paw down and hovered it in front of him. He frowned and began feeling his eyes beginning to tear up.

"Myan...," he whispered. He placed a thumb and finger on a ring that was on his left paw and began turning it on his finger. He felt anger built up inside him. He stood up and placed his sword and daggers into the sheaths, "They will pay for what they've done to me. What they have done to you both." he stormed out of the room, ready for battle.

(Please leave a review.)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 12: two for the price of one

We've been patrolling the streets for sometime now and nothing's happened. Everything was quiet and guards seemed to be more at ease because of it. Maybe this guy wasn't going to attack. Kai, Tigress, Viper and I all met up at the centre of town.

"It's been some time." Kai said.

"Yeah and nothing's happened, you think he's going to strike?" Viper asked.

"I...I'm not sure. I was certain he would strike, I just had to gut feeling," Kai rubbed he bridge of his nose and sighed, "Guess I was wrong."

"He still might, we just need to stay alert." Viper said. They continued to converse, as I turned around and started gazing at passing guards and houses. Suddenly, something moved in the shadows down an alleyway between some houses. I narrowed my eyes on the exact stop and began approaching it slowly.

"Hey Ben, where you going?" Kai asked.

"I think I saw something down there." I pointed. I cautiously crept towards the shocked until I was inches away from the dark alley. I focused my eyes and tried to see if anything was out of the ordinary. But, nothing moved. Must've been seeing things.

"Well? Anything there?" Viper asked. I stared into the darkness for a while before answering.

"I must've...been-" I stumbled back, as did everyone else as the sound of an explosion filled the streets.

"Now!" a voice shouted out of nowhere. The streets then began to flood with armoured soldiers. I heard a blade been drawn as a wolf leapt out of the shadows and began to attack me. He swung his sword, which I dodged quickly. I punched him the face, which hardly inflicted any damage. He swung again, except this time when I dodged, he kicked my legs, causing me to fall to the ground. He held his sword over his head and was about to bring it down into my chest. I felt my heart race, thinking that this was it, until and orange blur tackled him to the ground. I saw Tigress pin him down and knock him clean out. She stood up and began walking towards me.

"Thanks, I-"

"Just get ready to fight. If you can even do that right." she said coldly, walking straight past me. I frowned and followed.

"We have to light the beacon! Ben, you and I go light it. Viper, Tigress, do everything in your power to help the guards. Now, now let's move!" Kai ordered. We split up and me and Kai headed for the beacon, helping everyone we could on the way. We past around a corner and gasped to the sight of the destroyed barracks. Bodies of guards laid around, while other guards were fending off attackers.

"We have to light that beacon now!" Kai shouted. We continued to run until we finally reached the beacon. Kai grabbed a box of matches and began trying to strike when. He tried and tried until he lifted his head and stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He raised a finger and pointed into the distance. I followed his finger until I saw what he was looking at. In the distance, the beacon in the other town was lit.

"He's attacking both towns!" Kai shouted throwing the box of matches to the ground, "Alright, alright, we-we need to stop the attackers here and head to the other town." I nodded as we join the guards, Tigress and Viper in battle. A soldier cam towards me and swung his axe. I leapt to the side and kicked him in the face. He swung again, this time a hit his hand knocking his axe out of his hand. He threw a punch, striking me in the face. He then kicked my stomach and was about to bring his fist down on my head, but I instead he was hit in the face by Vipers tail. I thanked her and continued to fight. I was useless, to say the least. I constantly depended on help from someone else when I was fighting. It went on like this u tip eventually, we hand defeated all the attackers. We all then headed for the other town as fast as we could. When we arrived, it looked just as bad as the first town. Many guards were already dead and the fight seems to have been taken to the centre of town.

"Please be okay...please be okay." Kai muttered as we reached the centre of town. There, Mantis, Monkey, Crane, Jian and a handful of guards were fighting. We rushed to their sides and joined in.

"What took you so long?" Jian asked Kai.

"We were attacked as well. I'm glad to see you're okay." Kai replied. He knocked out an attacker, who was about to attack Jian.

"We'll talk later. We need to find that lion. Push through them all!" Jian said, letting out a battle cry. We pushed throught the soldiers, until they seemed to be throwing everything they've got at us. And then we saw him. The lion. He stood at the end of the street staring us. Jian narrowed her eyes at the lion.

"Wait...Han-Shi?" She said, "No..it can't be."

"It is him." Kai said, awestruck. After seeing his soldiers being taken care of one by one, he turned and ran.

"Ben! Go after him!" Jian shouted, striking a soldier into the groin. I took off as fast as I could after him. Great, of all the people to send after this guy, she sends me. I'm gonna screw this up I know it. I turned the corner and saw him running.

"Hey! Get back here!" I shouted. I ran and ran until he stopped in an open street.

"You won't stopped from achieving my goal." he said, turning.

"You've gone to far. It's time to give up." he laughed at my words.

"You haven't seen anything yet, my friend. I've know doubt you've already branded me as a villain. A vindictive, bloodthirsty, cold hearted bastard. I'm I right?" I remained quiet, "I figured as much. I have my reasons for doing what I'm doing."

"There's no good reason to slaughter over a hundred guards."

"There is if they've taken everything from you. But they are pawns. I just have to knock them off the board to get to the real prize."

"And what's that?" he laughed inwardly.

"I doubt you'll live long enough to find out. Shong, deal with this." the lion then turned and walked away as Figures stepped out of the shadows. A mountain lion and four familiar faces.

"Well, well, look who it is." The cougar said.

"It's a small world it seems." the cheetah added.

"Enough talk. Kill him." the mountain lion ordered. The five began closing in, and the feeling of helplessness came over me. I felt my heart race and they drew nearer and nearer. Out of nowhere, Kai, Jian and the rest of the guys pushed they five back and began fighting them. Juan and the other three, managed to break free from the fight and escaped. The mountain lion was the only one who remained.

"Time to give up. You're outnumbered." Jian said.

"Id rather die, than submit to you monsters!" he spat. Jian and the rest shared confused expression.

"Us, the monsters? Are you kidding?" Jian asked.

"We had plenty of reason to do what we did. Nothing you would understand."

"Well it's over for you. Drop your weapon now!" Jian shouted.

"Never!" the mountain lion let out a battle cry. He swung his swung wildly, clashing it against Kai and Jian's sword. He dodged and evaded the attacks we all threw at him until Jian managed to knock him out with the hilt of her sword. The mountain lion hit the floor and his weapon landed beside him. We looked around and noticed the sound of fighting had ceased.

"The towns safe. Thank god." Jian said.

"Where's Han-Shi?" Kai asked me.

"He...got away." I said regrettably. He sighed. Everyone else seemed to have the same reaction.

"Of all the people to send after him, we had to send you." Tigress said.

"I'm sorry I-"

"Now, he's going to attack another town because of you!" I frowned and remained quiet as she continued to give me hell.

"Tigress, come on.." Viper said. Tigress just shook her head, turned and walked away. I shut eyes and stared at the ground in shame. I never should've come here. I've screwed everything up. Our only chance of stopping this guy and I messed everything up. God, I'm such a useless bastard! I could feel everyone's eyes on me, no doubt cursing me under breath.

"Hey, it's okay. We can still catch him." Kai said.

"How?" I asked. Jian gave the mountain lion a kick into the side.

"By asking our new friend here to help us." Jian said. The mountain lion moaned in pain.

Somewhere in the mountains...

Inside a cave, the lion is writing letter, inside it, it includes information about what happened with the attack. Pacing around the room is a cougar, while a cheetah and two wolfs are sitting down.

"That was a complete disaster! We lost over sixty guys!" Juan said.

"They got Shong. What the hell do we do now?" Neuji asked.

"Are we in the shit?" the wolf brothers asked in unison. The lion remained quiet and continued to write.

"Hello?! Are we talking to the wall?" Juan asked clicking his fingers in front of the lion. The lion raised his head slowly.

"They have figured out our strategy. They're is few pawns on their side of the board, not enough to protect their king. But they have also taken our pawns and a bishop. I believe we may have to move onto plan B." Han-Shi spoke, standing up and turning away.

"Wha...what? Why are you speaking like an idiot and what is 'plan B'?" Juan asked. Han-Shi slowly turned back.

"Odysseus." he whispered, but loud for everyone in the room to hear. Juan cocked his head confused.

"Ody-who?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: knowing your enemy

"What is 'Odysseus'?" Neuji asked.

"Our next move...once the response to my letter arrives." Han-Shi replied.

"So why the hell do we do for the time being?" Juan asked, crossing his arms.

"We wait..." Han-Shi replied, sitting down.

"'We wait?' oh sure! Let's just play mahjong while 'we wait'" Juan said, throwing his paws up in annoyance. Han-Shi narrowed his eyes at Juan and growled inwardly. The lion shook his head and looked at his hand. He began fondling his ring, as another memory flashed through his mind.

Six years ago near Shanghai...

Near a port, soldiers patrol, talking to each other and they all appear to be keeping their distance from the docks. In the skies, dark clouds appear ready to release as much rain as they can to ruin everyone's day. Behind a small bunker, two lions stand idle looking at the sea that stood between China and Japan. A young lion stands beside Han-Shi, gazing at the ring on his finger.

"Didn't mom nearly kill you for losing your ring that one time?" the young lion asked. Han-Shi laughed inwardly.

"She certainly did. But you can't blame her," Han-Shi lifted his paw and stared at the ring, "It was a sign of the bond between us. An unbreakable one."

"You must be glad you found it. I think she threatened to castrate you of you didn't find it." Han-Shi shook his head smiling.

"Let's just both be glad it didn't have to come to that. God only knows what would have happened if it did." the young laughed.

"Id probably have to call you mom as well." Han-Shi laughed, before quieting down. The two lions continued to stare at the sea. The only sound was the clashing of waves and the distance sound of soldiers conversing. The young lion turned to his father.

"We're gonna stop them, aren't we?" he asked, concerned.

"Of course. They have to get off their ships first to stand a chance against us." the young lion, turned away with a worried expression. Han-Shi wraps his hand around his shoulders.

"Listen son, I know you're scared. I am too. But we're strong. We can get through anything. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you. You understand?" the young lion nodded. Han-Shi then embraced his son, "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad." the memory begins to flash and skips ahead. Ships have landed at docks and Japanese soldiers were in battle with the Chinese. Rain pours down hard and the sound off lightning echoes. The Japanese appear to be winning and are forcing the Chinese to retreat. Han-Shi is still embracing his son, with the bodies of his fellow comrades, are scattered on the beach. With shaky paws, he turns his sons face towards him. Cold, dead eyes stare back at him. Han-Shi buries his face into his short mane and begins to cry loudly.

The Valley of Peace, present day...

A day had passed since the attacks on the two towns, and I've been feeling like shit since. Its because of my useless ass, that the lion escaped and is free to attack any other town. I wouldn't blame the rest for blaming me if another attack happens. I know Master Shifu probably is. He gave me hell last night when he found out what happened. I think from now on I should just stay at the Jade Palace if anything else happens. We were in the training hall at the moment and were waiting for Kai and Jian to let us know if the mountain lion had given up any information. Master Shifu wasn't inside the hall, so I just sat down, with my head against the wall near the door. Everyone else was training, but they would gaze at me from time to time. Except for Tigress. She just looked pissed. And she had every right to be. She was right, it's my fault the lion got away. I deserve anything I got coming to me. I sat there for some time and I saw Viper, Crane, Mantis and Monkey approach.

"Hey buddy, how you doing?" Mantis asked. I remained quiet.

"Come on Ben, what happened wasn't your fault." Monkey said. I raised my head and looked at him with tired eyes.

"It was my fault. He got away because of me. I screwed up and everyone else is going to pay for it, because my stupid ass wasn't strong enough." the four then joined me by side. Crane leaned against the wall, Monkey sat beside me with Mantis on his shoulder and Viper slithered beside Crane.

"We have a guy being questioned right now. He'll give up everything he knows and then we'll find him." Viper assured.

"And if we don't?" I asked. She looked into my eyes with a sincere expression.

"We will." she said. I turned away and shook my head. Suddenly the door flung open and Zeng stepped inside. He turned his head and saw us.

"T-the captain would like to speak with you, Masters." he said.

"Thank you, Zeng." Viper said. They all then began heading out the door until they stopped and noticed me still sitting down.

"Come on, man lets go." Mantis said.

"You guys should go without me. I'd probably just mess things up further." I said.

"Nothing like that is going to happen. Now come on." Crane said. I sighed, stood up and followed them out the door. We headed down to the Valley and reached the barracks. We headed inside and stepped into Jian's office. Inside Kai and Jian were standing behind the mountain lion, who was strapped down on a wooden chair. He had blood dripping from his lip and he also had swollen eye.

"Glad you all could come. We would like you to meet our new friend, Shong. Say hello Shong." Jian said.

"Screw you, bitch." he spat. Kai then smacked him onto the back of the head.

"Watch your tongue, before we cut it off!" Kai shouted.

"We've been questioning him for hours. The only thing we've managed to get out of him, is his name." Jian said.

"I...will never tell you anything!" Shong shouted, spitting blood at us. Kai knelt next to him.

"What about Han-Shi? You gonna tell us about him?" Kai asked. Shong remained quiet.

"Han-Shi?" Viper said, before dwelling into thought, "Where does that name sound familiar?" Kai was about to say nothing, but was cut off by Shong.

"Han-Shi is a great man, who will bring a new order to this country." he said.

"Han-Shi, caused over a thousand deaths six years ago," Kai then turned to us, "Han-Shi is the ex-general of the imperial army. Six years ago, when China and Japanese were at war, he failed to do his duty near Shanghai. He allowed the Japanese to push past our defences and kill, not only our soldiers, but innocent civilians. He was stripped of his title and was kicked out of the imperial army. After that he just sorta disappeared. We thought he might have been dead."

"And we want to know why he's come back from the dead and is leading attacks on towns with you scumbags." Jian said.

"We do it because...we're fighting your oppression." Shong said.

"Oppression? What oppression?" Jian asked.

"The oppression you've placed on those you've condemned. People who have served their time, but are still treated like second class. We make one mistake and you put us down for the rest of our lives because of it."

"People will get a second chance, if they work for it. If they serve their time in prison, they'll get another chance." Kai said.

"Do they? Do they really? No, they don't. Even when their time is served, they're reminded of the crime they've committed and are treated differently because of it."

"That's not true." Jian said. Shong narrowed his eyes.

"If you honestly believe that, you're a bigger fool than I first thought."

"Now that we know why you're doing this, now all we need is to find out where Han-Shi." Shong averted his gaze.

"We'll get it out of you eventually. We've got all day." Kai said. Shong remained silent. Kai sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Looks like its gonna be a long day." Jian announced, striking Shong in the face.

Hours later, in the mountains...

Hai, a hawk, was flying towards the cave with Han-Shi and hundreds of solders. In his claws, he carries a letter with a red ribbon. He flys threw a small hole that leads I to the cave. He releases a screech as he flys into the small room where Han-Shi is sitting and waiting. The hawk drops the letter onto the table.

"Good work, Hai." Han-Shi says. The hawk bows before leaving. Han-Shi opens the letter and begins reading. He smiles and puts it down on the table.

"Time to send the king across the bored." he whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: drown in your sorrows

It's been some time since we've found out why Shong is attacking towns with this 'Han-Shi' guy and since then, he hasn't said a word. Right now he was unconscious from being punched by Jian repeatedly. The sun was setting and Jian and Kai decided to just throw him in cell for the time being.

"I guess that's all we're gonna get out of him today. We can try again tomorrow." Jian said, locking the cell door.

"Still can't believe Han-Shi is the one behind this." Kai said.

"Pretty sure you'd be pissed too if everything you lived for was taken away. But to attack towns and kill every guard..." Jian said shaking her head.

"Do we know where he might attack next?" Crane asked.

"We not sure. He might know that we've figured out his pattern, so he could attack any town now." Kai replied. I shut my eyes at those words and I felt more guilty. Any town...my god. More guards are going to be killed because of me. I'm just so goddamn angry with myself right now. I never should have accepted the offer to train at the Jade Palace. I only did it because I had nowhere to go and because I didn't want to be alone. Everyone else is playing dearly because of my selfish needs.

"Seeing how much of his soldiers we managed to stop yesterday, I doubt he'd be stupid enough to start another attack so soon." Jian said.

"We can only hope. I guess we should wrap things up for today," Kai said turning to us, "Thank you again for all your help. It's getting late and we shouldn't hold up any more of your time."

"Glad we could help. Goodbye." Viper said. We then turned and left the building. The sun had set over the horizon and the night sky shun over the Valley.

"Well, at least we don't need to do training. Straight to dinner, awesome. It's not gonna be soup again is it?" Mantis asked turning to Viper.

"What's wrong with my soup?" Viper asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing...it's just maybe we could try something else. You know, something that doesn't taste like paper." Mantis replied. Viper released a hiss.

"I'll feed you paper, if you're not grateful for what you get." Viper threatened.

"Oh, come on, I'm only joking. Your cooking is great and I am grateful, sorry." Viper then smiled.

"It's fine, don't worry." she said. We then continued to head towards the steps towards the Jade Palace. Before we reached them, I stopped and looked to the right. It wasn't before long until the rest noticed.

"Ben, what's the hold up?" Monkey asked.

"I'm...listen, I'll come up later, I'm gonna...go for a walk." I said before heading to the right. I as was walking, I gazed over my shoulder and noticed the confused expressions on their faces. They then headed up the steps, but gazed at me every so often. I turned my head back and headed down a dark street. After walking for some time, I eventually came across a familiar part of the Valley. The streets were littered with drunks, who were passed out on the ground or were urinating against a wall. A stood outside The Fearless Feline. The light of a lantern that was hanging above the door, extinguished as I stepped into. I looked around the room and noticed everything seemed the same as last time, except for an odd sight at the bar counter. Irish seemed to be drinking with the ox's we fought when I first came here. I approached the bar and Irish noticed me coming.

"Ah ha! If it isn't me guardian angel. How ye doin'? He asked.

"Not too good, but nothing a drink can't fix," I jerked my thumb towards the ox's, "Weren't those guys the ones kicking the shit out the other day?" Irish laughed and wrapped his arm around one.

"Tis all in the past. We're all the best of friends now, aren't we fellas?" Irish asked. The ox's raised their mugs and released a short cheer.

"Ok then...anyway, I'll take you up on that offer for a drink, if it still stands." I said.

"Of course! What will ye have?"

"Whiskey"

"A fellow whiskey lover? I thought we were a dyin' breed," Irish then waved his paw catching the bartenders attention, "Hanji, a whiskey for my friend here." the bartender then pulled out a glass, a bottle of whiskey and began pouring. He then slid the glass across the counter towards me, which I caught.

"Thanks, Irish." I then took a sip and sighed.

"No problem. You look like you need a drink anyway. What's the latest on the lion?" he asked, sipping on his drink. I rubbed my forehead.

"He attacked two towns last night. We managed to protect them but the lion got away. I...couldn't catch him."

"Al least the towns are safe."

"Until he attacks another. I...I screwed up and now there's gonna be more blood shed because of my mistake."

"Jesus, there's no point in beating' yourself up over something ye couldn't control."

"I could've handle it, if I wasn't so goddamn useless."

"Listen, ye can't be so angry with yerself. If you did everything ye could, then maybe that's enough. You can't expect do go into battle and not make a few mistakes," I shook my head and continued to drink,"Let me tell he a story. Back in Ireland, when I was growing up, I started to get into the gambling game. Just tryin' to find a fast way to make some money. So I started to find ways to cheat at poker. I figured, if I could get more money than I deserved and get away with it, I'd be swimmin' in gold by the end of the week. But, it didn't exactly go that way. I was caught once to often and was shunned for it. Probably the biggest mistake of me life, getting caught. But I realised what I was doing was wrong, I felt guilty just about everyday of me life because of it. But I learned to live with my mistake, even if it was a bad one. Even others started to forgive me. Everyone deserves forgiveness, don't they? And even though I occasionally make that mistake, Others can forgive me for it," he then turned towards the ox's,"Ain't that right fellas?" he asked.

"Sure can, only if you continue to buy the drinks." one ox said, to be more specific it was to one I head butted. He seemed to be missing a tooth when he smiled.

"Ha! It's your round next," Irish said, before turning to me, "So, would you like to drink away the guilt, with meself and these wonderful gentlemen?"

"Shit, If you're buying." he then laughed and patted me on the back.

"Hanji, you better be ready to work double time. It's gonna be a long night!" he announced. He raised his glass, which a clanked mine against and we both downed our drinks. So after countless rounds with Irish and the ox's, I decided it was time to leave.

"I'll...I'll see you later, guys." I slurred. I stood up and stumbled slightly. Irish was sleeping on the bar, using his arms as a pillow, while the ox's seemed to be scattered on the ground, passed out.

"See...ye, ye feckin' lightweight." Irish slurred, before continuing to snore. I laughed and left the bar. I can honestly say I feel better. I was laughing again, I was happy! I began singing as I headed toward the Jade Palace. I started climbing the steps, tripping every so often, until I reached the top.

"I'm just a poor boy...I need no sympathy!" I sang as I headed for the barracks, but I saw someone standing by the massive hall.

"You have been drinking." the figure spoke. Then the figure walked out from the shadows revealing himself to be Master Oogway.

"Yeah...I have so what?" I said.

"I understand why you are upset. But this will not solve your problems."

"Well its got me out of my shitty mood. I'm happy now."

"Are you? Are you truly happy? Or is that the alcohol speaking." he asked.

"Well...it's helping me. Even if it is just a little."

"It is not helping you, it is making things worse. You are upset at something that was out of your control. Drinking yourself into an early grave will not make you happy."

"Then what will?"

"By facing your past and coming to terms with it." I shook my head.

"No, I-I can't. It's just can't its too painful. I...I need to go." I then walked past him and headed for the barracks. I do not wan to face my past. I will never do it. I...I just can't. I can't be reminded of what a monster I am. I stumbled into the barracks, burst through my doors and collapsed onto the bed. I felt like crap now. I drank, thinking a could forget about the mistakes I made and they're coming back to haunt me in the form of an old turtle. Why does be keep tormenting me? Why can't he just leave me alone? I don't want to be reminded of the horrible thing I did, so why does he keep pressing me?! I felt tears beginning form but I Shi my eyes and tried to sleep. The sound of my father telling me I'm useless and the content torment of other kids calling me names echoed through my head. I curled up into a ball and couldn't hold my tears back. I began crying quietly into my arms.

"It was all my fault...all my fault." I whispered.

In the mountains...

Han-Shi is laying down on his bed, deep in slumber, but he seems to be turning over every so often. He passes through the streets, being shunned by everyone he passed for the mistake he made. They claimed he failed to do his duty, but fail to realise why. This constant slander has being going on since the massacre at Shanghai. Since then, he was stripped of his title and thrown out of the army. His wife was heart broken since the news of their son and is struggling to cope with people constantly cursing, both her and Han-Shi's name. Things were getting so bad for her...really bad. Han-Shi opens the door to his house and steps inside. Silence fills the air.

"Sweetheart, are you here?" he asked. He dwelled further into the house, "Listen, I've been thinking. Maybe we should just move, I've been...Myan?" he notices his face sitting down, with the back of the hair facing him. He creeps. Loser until her arm falls from the arm rest. Han-Shi gasps and releases a shaky breath as he notices blood dripping from her wrist. He rushes to the front of the chair and covers his mouth, "No, no, no, no!" sitting on the chair, Myans eyes are closed and both of her wrists have been slit. Han-Shi falls to his knees as he takes her in his arms, "Myan! P-please speak to me! Myan!" he then bursts into tears and hurts his face into his wife's neck. After rocking her back and forth. He opens his teary eyes and notices a note, next to a bloody knife on a table near the chair. With a shaky hand he reaches for it and begins reading.

'Han,

Please forgive me. I can't go on living like this anymore. Life is just too hard. You said things would get better, but they haven't, they only got worse. I love you, I love you so much. Please...forgive me'

"No, no, no! Baby, speak to me please!" he begs. But Myan remains quiet and motionless. He continues to cry for some time until it dies down. The memory skips on until it reaches the cemetery in the Valley of Peace. Han-Shi had just finished putting dirt over a grave. Rain pours down and he pats the top of the dirt mound. He allows the shovel in his paw to fall to the ground, as he stares down his the grave. His eyes then looks at another, "They...they" target="_blank"They...they did this to you, to you both. They...they will pay for what they've done. All of them!" his paws are clenched tightly. He then turns and leaves the cemetery.

(Please review!)


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: Acceptance_

Han-Shi's soldiers waited eagerly for him to explain their next move. They were reassured that their next move would no doubt lead them to victory. They began conversing amongst themselves until the shushed down as Han-Shi stood before them. His paws were behind his back, his eyes shifting in the sockets, eyeing his soldiers.

"Today, will provide us with a giant leap to victory. I know our last attack was not a success, that's why we will be executing plan B," he said. They all then shared a glance, knowing what plan B was. A mixture of uncertainly and determination, filled the room as he continued, "We've come this far and I'll be damned of I'll let anything stop us. We've prepared years for this, we've heightened our senses, built up our strength and trained until our bones were on the verge of breaking! We WILL triumph! We will bring a new order to this savage country! And we will kill anyone who gets in our way!" the soldiers let out a battle cry which echoed throughout the cave. Han-Shi then returned to his room and began writing a letter. A short while past until Juan, Neuji, Lao and Dao stepped inside.

"We found out what 'plan B' is. Are you insane? Or just hell bent on getting us all thrown in prison, or worse, killed?!" Juan asked with his voice raised. Han-Shi ignored him and continued to write.

"Juan, come on, man. Maybe we should just get back to training..." Neuji suggested, feeling uneasy at the lions silence. Juan shook his head.

"Not until this dumbass tells us how exactly this plan will work. We've gone along with the rest of your dumb ideas, but this is just stupid. Do you even care if any of us are killed? Of course you don't! You didn't give a shit when Shong was captured, you don't care about anything, or anyone!" Juan's outburst caused Han-Shi to cease from writing. He slowly placed his quill on the table and rose from it. The four slowly backed away as he came around the table and came face to face with Juan. His stature and build, caused Juan to regret his words and bring him on the verge of shitting his unmentionables. Han-Shi smiled.

"I understand why you seem reluctant to execute this plan. But in time you'll understand. You are brave to raise your voice to me, I admire that. Now, go and train," he said calmly. Juan shook his head shakily before turning to leave. Before he could stepped out the door, Han-Shi grabbed both sides of his neck and broke it in one swift move. Juan body plummeted to the ground as his friends turned to witness the horror. Their mouths wide open, as well as their eyes. The then locked eyes with Han-Shi who was staring at them with a deadly gaze, "I said, get back to training." the three then scattered at the room, leaving him to finish the letter, while Juan's cold dead eyes stared up at the ceiling.

At the Jade Palace...

We were inside the training hall at the moment and I wasn't doing too good. Drinking didn't seem to help anymore and only seem to have fuelled my depression and guilt. Maybe Master Oogway was right. Maybe I should face my past. Maybe I should stop running from it. But...it's just so painful to think about what happened, to think about what I've done. Everyone kept asking if I was alright or needed help. Aside from Tigress and Master Shifu. Master Shifu just kept telling me that I needed to focus or I wasn't good enough. Tigress, who seemed to be the only one to have any sense, blamed me for Han-Shi's escape. I deserved to be yelled at and told everything was my fault. Because it was. I know the rest of them know that, but they won't say it. I was on the edge of just giving up. I just couldn't handle this shit anymore. It seems no matter where I go, I bring the goddamn apocalypse with me. While everyone else continued to train flawlessly, I flopped and failed every so often While being deep in depressing thoughts. Eventually Zeng entered the hall.

"Masters, the captain as requested your presence." he said. We stopped training And then began to head outside. A noticeable difference as we stepped outside was the weather. Instead of being greeted to the sight of a sunny day, we were greeted by dark grey clouds that seemed prepared to rain at anytime. As we reached the bottom of the steps the first thing was saw was the streets flooded with animals. While some were residents to the valley, others were refugees from the towns that were attacked. We began pushing our way through the crowds unto we reached the guard barracks. Much like outside, the building was full of animals who were in a state of disarray. We headed to Jian's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." we heard Kai say. We opened the door and stepped inside.

"Ah, thank you for coming. I have a request." Jian said.

"Okay, what is it?" Viper asked.

"As you no doubt have noticed walking in, my guards are busy trying to keep all these refugees under control. Because of this, I'm stretched thin of able bodies to transport Shong to Chorh Gom and I was wondering if you all could help." Jian replied. Viper and the rest then shared glances before nodding.

"Of course. We'll do everything we can to help." Viper said. Jian smiled.

"Thank you. I'll have him placed in the carriage in a short while." Jian said, leaving the room with Kai. We followed soon after. Shong was taken out of the cell and was placed in cuffs. We took him outside and locked him inside the carriage. His face remained motionless and he sat silently waiting to be taken to prison. A few guards were ordered to carry to draw the carriage while we guarded. After a short period of time, we were ready to leave.

"Be careful on the road and take care of yourselves." Kai said. We nodded and then left for the road. As we passed through the streets, the animals began gathering and watching us leave. All remained quiet as they stared at us with the sound of thunder echoing. We neared the edge of town until we stopped. Everybody came to a halt, our eyes widened and faced forward. In front of us, stood Han-Shi and hundreds of soldiers.

"It's good to be home." Han-Shi said. Within seconds his soldiers then charged towards us. We sprung into defensive positions. Some of the soldiers began to fight us, while other rushed past us, dwelling further into the Valley. A wolf rushed me swinging his sword wildly. I ducked quickly and threw a punch to the side of his head, which didn't seem to do anything but infuriate him. I dodged again and threw a harder punch to his face which seemed to have done a bit of damage, but not a whole lot. He swung again and again until I finally managed to knock him out. I looked around and noticed the others deep in battle. They seemed to be doing an excellent job defending themselves and took out soldiers one by one. I was staring at them for so long that I was taken by surprise as I was jumped by another wolf. He pinned me to the ground and raised his sword above my chest. I heart my heart stop as he raised it above his head and was about to kill me. But before he could he was catapulted to the side by a wing. I looked up and saw Crane by my side.

"Thanks, man." I said getting to my feet. He flashed a quick smile.

"No problem, now let's get back to work!" he exclaimed as he spin in a three sixty motion, knocking out multiply soldiers at once. And with that, I jumped back into action. We continued to fight until we knocked out most of them. The rest seemed to have retreated and Han-Shi was nowhere to be seen.

"We have to split up and and stop the rest of Han-Shi's men!" Viper said.

"We need to get Shong back to the guard barracks so he doesn't escape." Crane said.

"We'll handle that. Now please, stop Han-Shi!" One of the guards who was hauling the carriage said. Everyone nodded and headed into the Valley, spreading out and covering all ground. As I was approaching the centre of town, the sound of swords clashing and people screaming flooded my eardrums. I quickly turned to corner to witness a massive fight between the Valleys guards and Han-Shi's soldiers. One guard seemed to be struggling with fending off two soldiers. I shot forward, grabbed one by the neck and threw him to the ground. He quickly recovered and let out a loud intimidating growl. He lunged forward and swung his axe. I sidestepped and dodged swiftly before I struck him in the neck. This caused him to grabbed his neck and gasp for air. He fell to the ground and continued to claw desperately for air. I turned to see that the guard had dealt with the second soldier. I then continued to assist other guards until many of the soldiers began to retreat. The handful of guards that were left dwelled further into the Valley and help other guards. I continued to help them as well until we eventually drove a lot of the soldiers to retreat. Crane, Viper, the rest and myself then met up in the centre of town. By this time the rain had started to pour down.

"We've managed to stop a good number of soldiers and most of them retreated, but there's no sign of Han-Shi." Crane said. Footsteps could be heard coming from around the corner and we all turned to see who it was. Coming from the corner, was a soldier, running at full speed with a frightened expression. Seconds later, Jian sprinted around the corner and leapt onto his back.

"I told you not to run you dumb bastard, now you just made things worse for yourself." Jian said, twisting the soldiers arm causing him to release a painful yelp. She then struck him in the back of the head, effectively knocking him out. As she stood up, Kai rushed around the corner and saw the scene before him.

"Good work, honey." He said joining Jian by her side.

"It's why I'm captain. It's about time you hurried your ass up." She said, causing Kai to roll his eyes.

"Has anyone seen Han-Shi?" Kai asked.

"No. It could be possible that he retreated." Viper replied. Jian then let out a frustrated growl.

"Not again. I can't believe this crap! If we had just-"

"Captain! We found Han-Shi!" A guard interrupted.

"Where is he?"

"The cemetery." Then, as quick as a flash, we all rushed to the cemetery. The rain continued to pour harder and harder until we arrived at the Valleys cemetery. A dozen guards surrounded it with spears raised, all facing in one direction. In the middle of the cemetery, was Han-Shi, kneeling on one knee in front of two graves. Jian and Kai pulled out their swords and approached him with the rest of us following behind. As we drew closer, I noticed his weapons were on the ground next to him.

"Han-Shi! Place your paws behind the back of your head now!" Jian ordered. Han-Shi then slowly raised both laws and placed them behind his head. Kai then grabbed of pair of iron cuffs from his side and placed them on Han-Shi. He then stood him up and turned him around. His eyes, half open, were set on Jian.

"Thank you, captain. You're helping me achieve my goal." He spoke. Jian then got right up in his face.

"The only goal I'm helping you achieve is getting your ass under the headsman axe. You're gonna pay for what you did you son of a bitch," she spat. Han-Shi then remained quiet, "Get this bastard to the barracks and start cuffing the soldiers that didn't retreat." Kai then shoved Han-Shi forward and began to transport him to the barracks. While some guards began to arrest the soldiers that were downed in battle, the others kept their spears on Han-Shi. As everyone began to head to the guards barracks, I remained on the spot, staring down at the two graves that Han-Shi was looking at. One had 'Huan' carved into it with 'A loving son and heroic soldier. Will be missed dearly' written beneath it, while the other had 'Myan' carved into it with 'A loving wife and mother. Will be missed dearly' written beneath it. I then drew the conclusion that this was Han-Shi's wife and son. I didn't know he had a wife and son. I then began to ponder. What happened to them? And what happened to Han-Shi that made him do what he did? Was he always like this or did something make him snap?

"Hey Ben, try and keep up!" I heard Viper shout. I shook myself back into reality and caught up with Viper and the rest of them. We arrived at the barracks and Han-Shi was thrown into the cell along with a handful of his soldiers.

"They'll all be taken to Hong Kong in the morning. The general will decide their faith. For now, we'll try and keep everyone calm. Thank you for your help today." Jian said.

"We would like help transport Han-Shi and his men to Hong Kong." Crane said.

"We could use more able people to help transport them. Thank you." Kai said. After the conversation ended, we left the building and headed back to the Jade Palace. We were practically soak on rain as we reached the Jade Palace. After explaining to Master Shifu that we'll be bringing Han-Shi to Hong Kong in the morning, he dismissed us and advised we get some rest for the trip. We then headed to our rooms.

"Thank god it's over." Viper said, releasing a sigh of relief.

"All we need to do now is get Han-Shi to Hong Kong and maybe things will get back to normal." Crane added shaking the rain water off his hat.

"Goodnight everyone." Monkey said before retreating into his room, as did everyone else. As I was about to step into my room a saw Tigress standing by her door with her arms crossed.

"He wouldn't have attacked the Valley if you had stopped him. I hope you realize you were this close to allowing to the very village you live in to be destroyed. Because of your uselessness, you cost the lives of many." She said, coldly without stopping. I frowned.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"You never should have come here. Everything would have be better if you hadn't." She cut me off, slamming the door behind her. I shut my eyes and shuffled into my room, closing the door behind me and sat down onto the bed. Her words hurt. And they hurt me badly, but it was the truth. Everything would have been better if I had just freezed to death the day I came here. My whole life I've amounted to nothing. I'm nothing but a useless bastard! I brought my hands to my face as I could feel tears beginning to form. I wasn't going to sleep like this so stood up and left the barracks. It was still raining, but I couldn't give a damn. With any luck, I just might freeze to death. I started to head to that peach tree I was at before. When I finally reached it, I sat down and laid against the truck of the tree. The leaves of the tree stopped most of the rain from dripping onto my head. I shut my eyes and just wallowed in my own self pity. Despite the amount of rain that was dropping on my face, I could still feel my tears through it. I just sat there, crying and wishing someone would just come along and kill me. After sitting down for some time, I saw a figure lurk in the shadows of the spiral steps. I quickly wiped away my tears and tried to see who it was.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here." I sighed when I realized who it was.

"Hello, Master Oogway." I said, hugging my legs.

"I can see you are upset. Do you know why?"

"Of course I know why. I screwed up and because of that, the Valley was attacked. I fricking useless. Everything a do causes pain to others. I'm better of dead." I said, burying my face into my legs and began weeping. Seconds later, Oogway approached me.

"You are not useless, you merely allow depression to cloud your mind. You must let go of your hard ache to recover."

"Hard ache?! Yeah that's putting it lightly. Do you even know what I've done?! Do you?!" I shouted, feeling tears stream down my face. Oogways expression remained calm at my words.

"I understand that you blame yourself for events that are out of your control. One in particular which will not come to terms with." He said. He knew. He knew what I did and what's me to come to terms with it?

"How can I come to terms with something like that? Something that scarred me for life and haunts my dreams everyday?" I asked.

"It was not your fault."

"I drove my mother to suicide! Because I was such a coward and couldn't stand up for myself, I lost the only person in my life who loved and cared for me. And you want me to 'come to terms' with that?" If I wasn't crying loudly before I was now. The memory that I struggled to forget was now playing in my mind, over and over. I buried my face into my legs and cried louder than I ever had in my life. I wish I had died instead of my mom. I wish I was never born! Everything would have been better if I was just dead! After what felt like hours of crying resting a claw on my shoulder.

"I understand that you are upset, but what happened was not your fault. You place blame upon yourself when there is none to blame. It's time to let go and become at peace with yourself." His words silenced my crying. I'm not sure I was ready to be at peace, but...maybe...maybe I should stop blaming myself. Maybe what happened was out of my control. I don't know...I'm just so upset with what happened but I do want to be at peace. I want to be happy again...like...when I arrived here. When I started to make friends and actually started to feel at peace. I guess the memory that I was running from for so long needed to be resolved to be happy. I suppose you can't hide from your past. I gazed up at Oogway and felt a weak smile spread accrross my face.

"Thank you, Master Oogway." I said. Master Oogway then released a smile of his own.

"It's the least I can do. Now, you should get some rest, you still have your destiny to fulfill." He said. I raised a brow in confusion but then shook my head dismissively. I should just get some sleep. I bowed to Oogway and thank him again before leaving. I reached my room, laid down and shortly after, I fell into a deep slumber.


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: face to face_

After we had all had woken up, we headed down to the guards barracks to assist them with transporting Han-Shi and a handful of his soldiers to Hong Kong. they were loaded up into carridges and in a short time, we were on our way to Hong Kong. Thankfully I had a restful night. I felt somewhat better than I have been in a long time. Not sure I was ready to start breakdancing just yet, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually. I kept to myself during the trip. I was at the back of the group while they conversed with one another. I just quietly admired the view around us. I'm sure you're sick and tired of me describing the atmosphere here, I'm sorry. No doubt you'd like to punch my face. If I wasn't brought here I'd be spending the rest of my life drinking and playing Call of Duty all day. When all that stuff is taken away, you just sorta have time to take in the view around you. After being here for sometime it was pretty obvious electricity doesn't seem to be a factor here. Everything resorting to a somewhat primitive state is actually something I like. I may miss watching TV or playing videos games, but I'd give that crap up any day to live in a world like this...just as long as they provide me with the DVD sets of The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, then I'll give it up any day. Seriously though, they take those shows away from me and I'll go insane. After walking for almost all day we eventually stop to set up camp for the night, then in the morning we'll be at Hong Kong. We stopped at a small little area surrounded my many oak trees and a beautiful river. Many flowers covered the green area where we set up camp. There was an unmentionable number of flowers growing and it certainly was a breathtaking sight. As the sun melted over the horizon, many guards got some shut eye while others stood guard. The guys and myself were sullied with small tents. A campfire was set up to keep everyone from freezing and some guards began to converse with one another. As time passed the guards dispersed from the fire and ether got some sleep to changed shifts with the ones that were guarding the carriages, which left only Crane, Viper, Monkey, Mantis and myself at the fire. I think Tigress was catching up on some meditating. While some small talk erupted from the rest I just remained quiet and stared into the fire. It wasn't before long until the rest decided to converse with me.

"Hey Ben, so eh doing okay?" Mantis asked. I raised my eyes and turned to Mantis. When I did I noticed they all had their eyes on me with concerned expressions. I gave a weak smile.

"Better than I was a few days ago. Thanks for asking." I replied. They released smiles at my response.

"Good to know. We had us concerned for a while." Monkey said.

"At least you're fine now though, right?" Viper asked. I nodded.

"So...any particular reason why you weren't doing too good for a few days?" Mantis asked. I sighed.

"Just some...personal issues. I'll be fine now though, so don't worry about it," I reassured. As we sat there I remembered the stories of how Crane and Viper came to the Jade Palace, but I negated heard How Monkey and Mantis did, "Monkey, Mantis, how did you two end up at the Jade Palace?" I asked. The two then perked up at the chance of starting a conversation.

"Well I arrived at the Jade Palace shortly after I learned about patience," Mantis began,"Back when I was living in old town, I was kinda...impatient."

"Kinda?" Viper questioned, causing the rest of us to release a chuckle. Mantis just rolled his eyes.

"Okay, so I was a bit of a knob head. It seemed I couldn't wait for anything. I was always trying to get to one place to the other as fast as I could. I didn't have to time to listen to detail, I just wanted to get things done fast. Then one fateful day I was on a mission to get back some wool coats for some sheep. Some croc bandits in the area stole their supply and I was asked to retrieve them. The sheep tried to explain that the crocs were devious for setting traps, but I didn't listen and just rushed in like an idiot. I was caught and thrown into a cage for days. During my 'stay' I sorta...fell into a...trance. Everything around me started to move faster than I did. And I at that moment I finally learned how to be patient. I escaped the bandits trap, collect the wool coats and got slapped by a women I tried to flirt with," We all released another chuckle before he continued,"A week or so later, Master Oogway paid a visit to my town and asked for me specifically. I was shocked to say the least, even more so when he offered me an invitation to train at the Jade Palace. So I accepted and and been training there ever since."

"A shame you accepted, we would have been less annoyed everyday if you didn't." Viper joked.

"Hey..." Mantis pouted. Viper chuckled inwardly.

"I'm only joking Mantis. I'm glad you came to the Jade Palace. You may be a pain in the butt sometimes, but you're a great friend." Viper said. Mantis then released a warm smile.

"Thanks Viper."

"So what about you Monkey. How'd you end up training at the Jade Palace?" I asked.

"Well I came from my old town. I used to be a bit mischievous." He started.

"Used to? And I suppose the image you drew on my back was you just being an artist was it?" Mantis asked. In response we all laughed and the recollection on Monkeys crude drawing.

"Ok, so I'm sorta mischievous. But not as much as I used to be. Back when I was younger I was always causing havoc to the residents of my town. I found to amusing, they found it annoying. They tried countless times to try and get rid of me but they always failed. I was practically invincible...until Master Oogway paid my town a visit. He told me to leave and I made a bet with him; if I win, he leaves, if I lost I would leave. So we battled and sure enough he beat me. He told me he knew why I did what I did and said he understood my pain. I decided to live up to my side of the bargain and was about to leave my town. But Oogway stopped me and told me I should use my talents for good and that's exactly what I did. Instead of being an ass all the time, I helped my fellow villagers in any way I could. Years went and Master Oogway returned and asked me if I would accept an offer to train at the Jade Palace. I said yes and I've been pleased with my decision ever since." Monkey said. Mantis then leapt onto his shoulder.

"And you got yourself the greatest best friend anyone could ask for." Mantis said. Monkey then smiled, made a fist and placed it in front of him.

"The greatest." Monkey said sarcastically, as Mantis and monkey gave each a brofist.

"Well I think that's enough bedtime stories for tonight, we should all get some shut eye." Crane suggested. We all nodded in agreement and began heading for tents. I climbed inside my own and laid down. I took of my vest, folded it over twice and used it as a pillow. Today seemed to be an alright day. I wasn't feeling down, I was talking to the guys again and we're only one day away from bringing Han-Shi to Hong Kong. My thoughts then shifted towards the lion. He seemed to calm to being captured almost pleased. I still don't understand why he's doing all this, but I have somewhat of a theory, which involves his family. Was he angry about their deaths and was taking his anger out on the rest of China? Or was he just a villain before he left for so many years? I don't know, I think there's something else to it. I laid there for someone deep in thought before realising that I wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon. I crawled out of my tent and decided to go for a walk to clear my mind. There was a cold breeze but not enough to turn me into an ice sculpture. The only sounds I could here was the dirt beneath my feet crunching and the distant conversation of some guards. I passed by a few and we exchanged hellos. After walking for sometime I came upon the carriages that were carrying a lot of Han-Shi's soliders. A few guards stood around them, guarding them closely. In one particular carriage was Shong, who had his head against the iron bars of the carriage. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. Beside him was...Han-Shi. He was sat upright and he was staring at the floor of the carriage. He sat here so still just waiting. I then began to approach to the carriages slowly with my eyes locked onto him. I was now standing just outside his carriage, out of earshot of the guards. His eyes lifted slowly and locked with mine. Neither one of us spoke, we just stared, until..

"So...we meet again." He spoke.

"It would seem so." I said, crossing my arms.

"Have you come to gawk? Have you come to ridicule me for my 'crimes'?" He questioned.

"No. I've come to ask why?" I replied. Han-Shi narrowed his eyes.

"What?"

"Why did you do it? What drove you to do what you did?" He the. Averted his gaze.

"I said it before; I have my reasons." He replied.

"What reason grants you the right to take countless lives?"

"Family." I stood there bewildered.

"Family?" I question confusingly.

"Family; the only thing that really matters in life. When someone takes it away from you, you'd do anything to avenged them, would you not?"

"And your family...they're dead aren't they?" He once again averted his gaze, "The two grave stones you were in front of in the Valley, your wife and child?" He nodded, "What happened to them?"

"My boy...he was slain in battle. I promised to protect him and I failed. I was torn apart, I felt empty. As a result, the enemy pushed through our defences. I was blamed, of course. They never understood why. They just place blame without questioning why I stopped fighting. I was shunned, cursed by anyone who passed. The only thing that was keeping me going was my wife. My...beautiful wife. She took the news about our son hard. I assured her that everything was going to be alright. Not even a week gone by and my wife had...she...she tools her own life," At those words I felt my mouth open ajar and my heart filled with sorrow with the memory of my mother going out he same way, "And...that's where I broke down. They took my family from me, they took everything from me. I knew then and there they had to pay. They all had to pay." His face was full of anger and his breathing became heavy.

"And how many would have been enough?"

"Until I reached the one he caused this. The one who stripped me of my title and shunned me in front of everyone in China."

"Who?"

"You'll find out tomorrow, I assure you. As for now, I have a question for you, " I raised a brow, "Why are you asking me these questions?"

"Because I wish to understand you. I once viewed you as nothing more than a vindictive being. But when I saw you kneeling before those two tome stones, my opinion changed. They said that you were once the general of the imperial army. You once fought along side the guards you're now killing. But when they stripped you of your title And you came back years later, filled with rage. I believe you had good in you before your family died and...I believe you may still have. I can see you're angry about your families death. But do you think they would have wanted you to do what you did?" Han-Shi just stared at me with confusion. His eyes drifted forward as he seemed to dwell into deep thought. What I said about him still having good inside him was true. If what happened to his family was true, then I can understand why he did what he did. But even then, no matter how angry you get, taking someone's life should never be an option. After a short while Han-Shi returned from his thoughts and shook his head.

"You'll never understand why I'm doing this. I can tell you now that you can save your pity. Nothing will change my mind. I will say nothing more." He then turned his head and stared in the opposite direction. I sighed, turned and began walking towards my tent. But before I did, I turned.

"I understand what you're going through."

"How the hell would you know what I'm going through?" He asked gruffly.

"Because I lost my family as well." I said before turning and leaving. I crawled back into my tent and laid back down. It was strange how my opinion of a man who killed to so many people changed drastically. He killed because of the loss of his family. It must have been horrible to be put through what he was put through. Being stripped of his title, shunned by society and losing his family. I did understand what he was going through, especially with losing your family. I sighed and just decided to get some sleep. Sure enough, shortly after closing my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

(Review please)


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: revelations_

After a peaceful night of sleeping, we had all woken up, packed up and continued to on the path to Hong Kong. I've never in my life been to Hong Kong. Come to think of it, I've never really been anywhere near Asia. I'll admit, I was rather excited to visit this city, even if it is just temporary. I've come to admire Chinese architecture and to visit a massive city filled with it would certainly be something to remember. After walking for some time we finally reached the outside of Hong Kong. As we came to the entrance we were greeted by the sight of massive building that disappeared into the sky. The streets were much wider than the Valleys allowing more pedestrians to flow through the streets. A various of sounds filled the air as we made our way through the city. I was in awe to say the least. It was magnificent and majestic. But I believe this wasn't anytime for sightseeing, we had more important things to focus on. Much more important things. I hadn't noticed it before, but as we passed through the streets, everyone we passed by hushed down and stared at us, mainly the carriages holding the prisoners. I noticed the cities guards were also keeping their guard up in case anything happened. Jian was leading the carriages. She said that we were taking them to the general, but I had no idea where he was, so I just followed. We travelled the ought the streets for sometime until we came across a large stone fort with large wooden doors that were closed. Several guards were posted outside. Noticing our arrival, one guard muttered to the other before the both pushed one wooden door each, allowing us access. When we stepped inside, it appeared to be barracks for the city guards. Many guards were training with swords, bows and other weaponry. Many halted their training as they saw us enter. They noticed all the prisoners and would curse under their breath at the sight of them. The carriages came to a halt as a door leading to a building opened. When the door opened, a figured stepped out. After it exited the dark room, he came into view under light of the sun. It was a tall, large built leopard. He wore massive armour and had a large sword strapped to his back. Just then, another figure stepped outside the building. It was a grey furred wolf wearing less armour than the leopard. He had a short sword strapped to his belt. He did appear as a typical wolf. As the leopard approached us, every guard, including Jian and Kai, saluted.

"Sir." They all said in unison. The leopard wave his paw dismissively.

"At ease." He then approached the carriages and eyed each one. He turned to Jian and Kai,"Do we have him?" They nodded,"Good, bring him inside. Put the rest in the dungeons." He ordered. Within a matter of minuets, every one of Han-Shi's soldiers were brought into a building on the right, leaving Han-Shi alone in an open carriage. Every guard raised their weapons and awaited for Han-Shi to be brought out. Jian enter the carriage and dragged Han-Shi out by the arm. As they both exited the carriage, I noticed Han-Shi had shackles around his legs as well as his paws. Jian shoved he forward and nearly flooring him in the process. After Han-Shi caught his balance , he became face to face with the leopard. They both stared at one another in silence. The leopard the finally broke it.

"Han-Shi." He said looking down on him.

"General Xiow." Han-Shi spoke back. The general then got right up in his face, with angry plastered on his face.

"You've caused quite a stir in the past week." The general said.

"A stir would be accurate compared to what I have in store next. Today, history will be made." The general shook his head angrily. He then turned to Jian and Kai.

"Get this piece of shit inside."

"With pleasure, sir." Jian said. She then pushed Han-Shi forward and led him into the building. The general then turned to us.

"I thank you all for aiding in escorting Han-Shi and his men. We'll handle the interrogation. If you wish to wait for the captain, you might be waiting for sometime. If you'd like I could have Raio here," the general gestured to the wolf standing next to him,"show you around the fort until we finish up inside." We all exchanged glances and then nodded. "Good. This shouldn't take long anyway." He said cracking his knuckles, indicating he was going to use brute force to interrogate Han-Shi. He then tuned and entered the building he came from. The wolf then approached us.

"Well, how about we get started?" He asked. He then gestured for us to follow him, which we did. We walked all around the fort and Raio showed us every post of interest from training hall to kitchen. This place certainly seemed like it was ready for anything. Seriously though, the guards looked hard as steel and the forts walls looked like it could take on anything. I wonder how It would fair against Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball? But, I digress. After an hour or so of following our tour guide around, he invited us inside the main building to relax. We thanked him and accepted the offer. As we stepped inside, we were greeted by the sight of dozens of rooms, likely leading to offices and the such. It was brightly lit up by lanterns hung all over the walls. Many paintings and and weaponry were hung in an organised fashion on the walls. The walls were a dull grey colour while the ground was a pitch black carpet. We dwelled deeper into the building until Raio lead us to a room that was situated at the end of the hallway. At the door was his name, indicating that this was his office. He brought us inside and had requested tea for each of us including himself. After it had arrived, we settled in and waited. While the rest conversed amongst themselves, I decided to talk to Riao, who was sitting down in a chair behind a desk.

"So, tell me, what's your role around here?" I asked, starting up a conversation. He smiled and placed his cup of tea on his desk.

"Ah, well, I'm the lieutenant. It's my job to make sure the guards are all training hard and I occasionally send letters to various towns and cities. I've worked hard to get my status and I can honestly say, I'm honoured to have it." He replied.

"Good to see you taking your role seriously. So if you're a lieutenant, I'd imagine you've been a soldier for a long time."

"I certainly have. I've be a soldier just about ten years now."

"Ten years huh? Tell me, did you...ever fight alongside Han-Shi?" I asked. My question made him sigh.

"I did. I fought in many battles with him. He was an honourable man. Always cared for his soldiers and made certain that he'd get them out alive in sticky situations. He was...sort've an idol to me before. I looked up to him. And to see him now...it's like looking at a completely different person. The man I once call general, has turned into the man I call scum. It's tragic."

"I spoke to him last night. He told me he did all this the avenge his family."

"I'm sure we'd all take our angry out on something if we lost our family. It would seem he aimed higher than anyone of us would have. I was there when he lost his son. It was horrible. He promised to keep him safe and then...within the blink of an eye, his son fell in battle. Han-Shi was frozen still, on the battlefield with his son in his arms. He said he had failed him and failed China. The next day he was brought before the Emperor himself. He was blamed for allowing the Japanese to push through our defences and kill so many people. He was striped of his title, his armour and his dignity. I believe that was the last that I saw of him." Riao then sipped down his tea and sighed.

"On some level, I can understand why he would kill so many people. But even then it was still not the course of action he should've took. He should've found another way to come to terms with losing his family." I said, sipping down my own tea.

"It's hard to say what any of us would do if we lost out families." I suppose he was right in a way. Losing your family is nothing like losing your job or girlfriend. Your family is something that's with you practically your whole life. And to have it taken from you in an instant, it's just horrible. I frowned as my thoughts turned to my mother. I loved her so goddamn much. She was he only person who ever loved me. The neighbour kids and pretty much anyone at school always teased me or bullied me. Like have an abusive father wasn't enough. Years and gets of torment and torture was driving me to insanity. And all through this time my mother felt powerless to do anything. She felt like she failed her son. I felt like I failed her. I should have been more tough, more stronger. But I was hopeless. Then, that one fateful day, I came home from my shitty job. I walked into the kitchen I swore I could feel my heart literally being destroyed. Nothing felt real. Everything was like a dream. My mother, was...oh god. I brought hand to my forehead. At least now, thanks to Oogway, I've stopped blaming myself. Maybe there is a chance at peace for me. Maybe...there's also a chance of peace for Han-Shi. It was strange, everyone seemed to just view him as a monster, but I just felt sympathetic for him. I suppose Riao felt the same way. He said he looked up to him, viewed him as an idol. A least I'm not the only one. Time passed and we all had finished our tea. The door then opened and we all turned to see who it was. It was a guard.

"Riao, the general has requested your presence. And you all too." He said pointing at all of us. We all got and exited the room. Riao then led us the the building where they took Han-Shi. As we stepped inside, there was a flight of steps leading down further into the building. We headed down them and came faced with a door on the opposite side of the steps. We approached it and I noticed it had a small window with iron bars. I peaked inside, but couldn't see much. What I could see was a table and there seemed to be figures walking around it. Riao knock three times and waited. The door then creaked open, relieving the general.

"Ah, good. Come in." He said. He stepped aside and allowed us the enter. When we did, I got a much better view of things in here. A small window with iron bars was up high of the wall, which only allowed a small ray of light to enter. The room itself was just dark and grim. An ugly greyish colour painted the walls and floor. An old wooden table was in the centre. And sitting by the table was...Han-Shi. He still had shackles on his paws but not on his feet. His face looked like it had been hit with a large club. He had a swollen eye and blood was dripping from his nose and mouth. He however had an emotionless expression on his face. The general turned to us.

"Riao, he said he would only talk to you. So, I would like you to take over the interrogation. We need to I is everything. Why he did this, what his goal was, things like that, got it?" He asked. Riao nodded. The general then turned to us,"As for you lot, I must ask you all a favour. Some of. My guards that were posted in an outside room, have been called off to a disturbance outside the city. So I need two of you to stand guard outside the room while the others stay in here, can I ask this of you," we all nodded,"Thank you." So Viper and Crane stood outside while the rest of us stayed in the room. Riao then sat down in a chair opposite Han-Shi. The lion leaned forward.

"Riao, my old friend, it is good to see you again after all these years."

"I wish I could say the same. You were gone for a long time, where were you all this time?"

"Preparing, training and waiting. There was a lot of that." Riao then leaned forward and brought both of his paws together.

"Why did you do it Han? What were you trying to accomplish?" Han-Shi then remained quiet for a moment before bring his own paws together.

"Attacking the towns was the original plan. But, it would seem my plan was being diminished. I lost a lot of my soldiers in the attacking before the Valley of peace. I couldn't risk that again. So, I went with plan B." everyone exchanged glances.

"And what is plan B?" The general asked.

"I said before, you'll find out."

"But why did you attack the towns?" Riao asked.

"To draw out the rat from his hole. I killed those guards and destroyed their home to attract the attention of Hong Kong. To attract the attention to the one who put me in this position. I knew sometime or another my actions would pressure on our good ol' general here to come and try and get me and when he did, I would strike." The general leaned on the desk.

"I would have been ready for anything you threw at me." He said. Han-Shi then raised his head and stared at him.

"I didn't say you were the one I would kill." The generals face then turned to confusion.

"If not me, then who?" He asked.

"The one who destroyed my life. The one who caused all this," he then shot up and slammed his paws on the desk,"THE EMPEROR!" He roared. I was certainly we all had shocked expression after hearing that outburst. He was trying to kill the Emperor? Jesus Christ. The general shot around the table and shoved Han-Shi back down onto the chair. He then leaned over him with an u earthly expression.

"Too bad for you that your here and he's all the way across the city. Your army has abandoned you. You're on your own now. There's no way you can harm the Emperor." Han-Shi then flashed a wicked smile.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked. The general stared at him for sometime before turning to Riao.

"We need to get word to the Emperor. We better send a message to him at once." The general ordered. Riao then stood up.

"Will I go to my office and write one out, sir? He asked. The general shook his head.

"No, I want you to stay here and see if we can get anymore information out of him. You," the general pointed at me, "I want you to head to Riao's office and bring us a quill and inkwell." I nodded and headed to the office as fast as I could. Thankfully I could still remember where it was so I didn't have to asks for directions. I opens the door and searched around for a quill and inkwell. I then noticed the required items on the table next to a number of scrolls. Some blank and some already had writing on them. I figured we'd also need paper too so I decided to grab a blank one. I picked up the inkwell and quill. As I reached for a blank scroll I accidentally knocked it off the table. As I bent over to pick it up a bumped into the table, knocking a number of scrolls off the table.

"Goddamnit." I cursed under my breath. I place the inkwell and quill back into the desk as I began to pick up the scrolls one by one. I grabbed the last one by the top and it effectively opened. I was about to roll it back up but not before my eyes began to take in the information on the scroll. I held the scroll and continued to read. I knew it wasn't right to read it but...but...oh my god. With every passing word my mouth became more and more unhinged. This letter was...from Han-Shi! I opened another and then another and couldn't believe my to some of these letters, Riao has been helping Han-Shi for years, even before the first attack! Riao was a traitor! I had to get this information to the general! I grabbed one of the scrolls as proof and ran as fast as I could back to the general. As I ran across the courtyard leading to the building, I here what sounded like an explosion. It seemed to be coming from the building with the guys. I rushed inside, run down the steps and gasped. The door was wide open and smoke was dust was pouring out. I saw Viper and Crane just outside on the ground coughing. I sprinted forward and help them up.

"What the hell happened?" I asked.

"We .cough. Don't know. We were .cough. Just standing outside and all of sudden the door blew open and dust poured out." Viper replied.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Crane said regaining his balance. I headed inside and covered my mouth to prevent dust from getting g into my mouth. When I entered, most of it had cleared. Behind where Han-Shi sat was a massive hole in the wall. The table was in pieces as well as the chairs. I could here a number of different coughs. The dust cleared relieving everyone on the ground injured and and coughing.

"What...the hell just happened?!" The general shouted. I helped up Kai who was nearest to me and he helped up Jian. We then went around the room helping everyone else recover.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Han-Shi had a blade to Riao's throat. He was too goddamn fast. He said he'd kill him if we made a move. And then I talked on about finally reaching his goal. Then the goddamn wall blew open." Kai replied.

"Riao was working with him." I said. He general then turned to me.

"What the hell are you talking about? Riao couldn't have done something like that." He said. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a scroll. I handed it to him and he began reading. His face then turned to a state of disbelief. "No...it can't be."

"Sir, what does it say." Jian asked. He held up the scroll.

"This is a letter to Riao from Han-Shi dated a day just before the first attack." He replied.

"Oh my god.." Kai muttered.

"My trusted lieutenant was working with him this own time. I can't believe it..." The general said, still unsure if it was true.

"We'll figure this out later, right now we still need to stop Han-Shi." I said. The general nodded.

"It's probably on his way to the Emperor! We have to hurry!" He then rushed out of the room, with the rest of us following behind.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: and the truth, will set you free..._

We rushed out of the building as fast as we could. As we stepped outside, we were introduced to the sight of chaos. The fort was swarming with Han-Shi's soldiers. The forts wall were crippled and the large wooden doors were blown off their large hinges.

"You have to find that bastard!" Jian shouted, as she unsheathed her sword and thee herself into battle.

"The Emperors tower is in the centre of the city. He's probably heading there now!" The general said, joining Jian in battle.

"We have to push our way through the streets and help everyone we can." Kai said. And that's what we did. We took out the soldiers in the fort and entered the city. We all stood in shock with what we saw. The city I was saw as a beautiful work of art was in a blaze of fury. Buildings were on fire and people were running around, panicking and screaming. The streets were filled Han-Shi's soldiers and the cities guards fighting amongst themselves in an epic battle. We rushed forward and starting helping the cities guards. While one wolf was busy fighting a guard, he had his back turned leaving himself prone to attack. I took advantage of this and performed a leg sweep. He fell onto his back and I knocked him out with my fist. I close lined the next soldier and punched another in the face. I know this isn't time for gloating, but goddamn, I was unstoppable. One by one it dropped this bastards like a bad habit, until we finally pushed through the entire street. I then we saw him. Han-Shi sprinting through the streets with Riao by his side.

"There he is! After him!" The general ordered. We sprinted at high speed and followed him. We were slowed down every so often by his soldiers but they didn't prove a challenge to us. Han-Shi was just in view as he was heading for an enormous building that surpassed the sky. Massive walls were spread all around the building and the only way in was giant golden doors which were blown open. There was bodies of guards scattered on the ground. These guards however where no like any other. There were golden army and and swords with golden hilts. I could only assume they were the Emperors personal guards. We rushed I got the courtyard to come face to face with Han-Shi, Riao and a handful of his soldiers.

"I hope you realise everything you're doing will be in vain." Riao said. The general released a growl.

"You shut your mouth, you traitor." He spat.

"Me, the traitor?! That's a good one 'sir'. It's you who's the traitor. You turned your back on a great man who you shunned for something that was out of his control. You destroyed his reputation and took away his life." Riao spat back.

"He turned on his own countrymen!"

"Because his countrymen turned on him!"

"Enough of this!" The general shouted, finally drawing the line with the banter. "Surrender, or you all die." A short silence ensured before they all drew their blades.

"It was an honour serving with you sir." Riao said before charging. The soldiers charged too while Han-Shi turned and sprinted into the building. Riao and Han-Shi's soldiers rushed forward. Jian then leapt forward and kicked one soldier in the face. She then swing her sword and disarmed another and then smacked him on the back of the head with the hilt of her sword. The rest, seeing their comrades fall so easily, stared at her with frightened expressions.

"You better surrender now or I'll start cutting off everything below the belt!" She roared. One soldier swallowed fearfully while another I believe pissed himself. Kai the stepped forward.

"And I'm married to this women. So you know I can't be right in the head either." He said. Despite their treats the soldiers still attacked. There was only a short number of them and by the time they all picked someone to fight, I was left with no one to fight.

"Ben! Go after Han-Shi! He can't reach the Emperor!" Kai shouted through the sound of swords clashing. I took off at high speed and went straight into the building. I entered a massive room with a spiral staircase. Then I saw him.

"Han-Shi!" I shouted as I noticed him on the third floor. He ignored me and continued to run. As I ran up the stairs a stumbled over more of the Emperors personal soldiers. By the looks of it they seemed to have tried to take on Han-Shi head first and failed. I continued to ran as fast as I could and surprisingly, I managed to catch up with him. He was a flight of steps ahead of me and I was so close to catching him. With all my willpower, I ran faster than I could ever in my life. Han-Shi was now mere inches away from me. I had to wait just at the right moment...and. "Gotcha!" I wrapped my arms around him and tackled him to the ground. The slid across a marble floor on I think was the twelfth floor. When we stopped sliding, Han-Shi pressed his foot against my abdomen and threw me over him. I went flying into a stone pillars and released of shout of pain. He stormed over to me and grabbed me by the neck. He lifted me off he ground and torpedoed me across the floor. When I approached me this time, I have him a hard kick to the groin. He grabbed it in pain as I threw a punch to the face. He stumbled back and I took advantage of his state by upper cutting him. He quickly recovered and delivered a blow to the chest. I cough violently and tried to regain my breathing. He swung and attempted to punch me again, except this time a dodged and head butted him. I then threw furious punches to his face, causing him to stumble back. He grabbed my hand as I tried to punch and he twisted my arm. I let out a shot yelp as he twisted it further. With one free hand and swung and landed a hit to his face. This caused him to release the grip from my arm and slower me to kick him into the chest. The didn't seem to do much damage as he blocked a second punch and landed one of his own in my face. In one quick sweep, he knocked me off my feet. I landed hard onto the ground and groaned. He then positioned himself over me. He wrapped one paw around me neck and squeezed. I began to wheeze.

"You will not stop me from avenging my family!" He growled.

"You've...taken one...too many lives...will kill...ing the Emperor...really...bring you peace?" I wheezed. He threw me across the room and I began coughing and tried to breath normally.

"This isn't about peace, this is about vengeance." He replied. He stood up and faced him.

"This about satisfying your own personal vendetta. I understand your angry, believe me I know how you feel." He rushed forward and punch my face. I recovered and threw my of my own. He stumbled back and growled.

"You know nothing! How could you possibly understand my situation?"

"Because I lost a loved one as well. My mother." He remained quiet but kept his defence up. "She...she took her own life when she felt hopeless. My whole life I've being shunned a ridiculed by people who passed me in the street. My mother felt powerless to do anything, she felt like she failed me. So...she killed herself." At this point Han-Shi lowered his defences and just listened."Days past and I felt empty. Nothing felt real. It was like a dream. i prayed day and night to just wake up...and I never did. Then hatred clouded my mind. I...wanted to kill. I wanted to kill everyone who disgraced me."

"Why didn't you? You could have avenged her." He asked.

"Because that wasn't who I was. I wasn't a killer. Life gave me plenty of reason to kill, but I didn't. Because I knew that's not what my mother would have wanted. We had a hard life, but that did t give me reason to take another persons life for the sake of my mother. It's not about vengeance. It's about coming to terms with the past and finding out a way to happy." Han-Shi just stared at me. Angry had left his face and was replaced with an emotionless expression.

"But...my wife and child-"

"Would they have wanted to became the man you are today?" He averted his gaze.

"...no...no they wouldn't." He said before turning and heading towards a balcony that was on this floor. He stared out at the destruction of the city. He just stood there and stared blankly. "What...what have I done?"

"You made a mistake. A big one. But one where there might be a chance to came back from it. Everyone deserves forgiveness. And most importantly happiness. So please, give yourself up." He slowly turned to me and stared at me. He then went I to a stage of deep thought before shaking his head.

"No." He whispered. I couldn't believe it. After all that, he's still gonna try and-"There's no coming back from this. I have to pay for what I've done," he then unsheathed a dagger, "Thank you, my friend. I can now finally be at peace." He hovered the dagger over his chest.

"No, wait!" I shouted running towards him. But I was too late. He shove the dagger I to his chest and released a painful yell. He fell to his knees and finally onto his back. I shook my head in disbelief. I got down on one knee and leaned over him. His whole body was motionless and his eyes were open. I brought two fingers towards them and shut down. "I hope you do find peace, wherever you are." And just like that, it was over. I had truly felt sorry for him. A man who once had an honourable status was shunned from society. And to end up like this...it's tragic. I guess I should tell the others what happened. I then hissed in pain as I pulled myself back up to my feet. my whole body was aching. This is defiantly gonna take some time to recover from. I sighed before turning to the staircase. When I did, I notice the general, Kai, Jian and the rest of the guys standing there. They glances switched between Han-Shi's body and me.

"We...saw what happened." Crane said.

"I tried to stop him." I explained.

"We know, but there was nothing you could do." Viper said.

"I guess...it's finally over." Kai said. Jian joined him by his side and wrapped an arm around him and he wrapped one around her.

"There's still some of his soldiers that need to be out in shackles, but we can handle that. Other than that...yes, it's over." The general said. So, after a personal thank you from the Emperor himself, we arrested the soldiers that were littering the streets. And clearing up here, it was time to head back to the Valley. The trip back was quiet. None of us said a word. It was strange, you see this kind of stuff in movies. When the villains defeated, the heroes celebrate and the credits role playing awesome music. But here, there wasn't any curtains drawn, no applause just nothing. After camping for the night and waking up again, we walked for awhile until we reached the Valley. We headed to the barracks first to say goodbye to Kai and Jian. When we reached it, they both turned to us.

"Well, it's been one hell of a week but we did it. All of us." Kai said with a smile.

"At least now the towns can rest easy now. It may take awhile but everything will be back to normal." Jian added.

"We were honoured to have helped." Viper said.

"Funny, he's newest student to the Jade Palace, and he's already saved China from destruction." Jian said with a smile. I couldn't help but release one of my own.

"She's right you know, you're pretty awesome man." Mantis said.

"Heh...thanks." I whispered.

"Anyway we shouldn't keep you lot any longer." Kai said.

"Of course. Goodbye." Crane said. We waved goodbye and began heading for the Jade Palace. As we reached the top of the steps, the sun had set and after informing Master Shifu of our return he told us to have dinner and get some sleep. Surprisingly he gave us the day off tomorrow. The first kind thing he's ever actually done I assume. So after we had dinner we headed to our rooms I cloned I to bed and laid down. This has been the craziest ride of my life. Dropped into an animal inhabited China, trained to be Kung fu master, made many friends and prevented China from erupting into chaos. Despite how all crazy this was, I was happy. My god was I happy. I laid there with a smile on my face and continued to dwell I to deep thought. And thats when my smiled faded. I began to think about Han-Shi. I wondered whether or not if I could have saved him. I talked him down, but I never expected him to take his own life. Poor bastard. At least some kindness was shown to him before he died. Dwelling into thought was preventing me from falling asleep so it would seem I needed another walk to clear my mind. And that's what I did. I exited the barracks and began walking around the Jade Palace. That view was be— actually I think I'll shut up about the view, no doubt you've got your boxing gloves on by now. I don't believe I've mentioned it before, but I've got a love for the nighttime. It was my favourite time of the day. There was something about the moon that was so much better than the sun. Mainly one, I could look at the moon without having my eyes turn into boiled eggs. I just have some sort of attraction towards it. After walking for sometime, I came across the building where Tigress had been before at night. And just like that night the door was open ajar. I peeked inside and there she was, sitting beneath the dragon statue. After all she said to me, I should have I'll feelings towards her. But I'll I can think about is what Oogway said. That she had suffered during her life. Maybe she did need a friend but turned them away for some reason. I pondered if I should talk to or not, see if we could put the last in the past and maybe patch things up between us. I then slipped into the hall and headed towards her. This time she didn't seem to hear me coming and I managed to walk all the way across the hall and stand behind her.

"So I take I my stealth has improved." I joked. She didn't laugh or even release a smile, she just remained quiet. I sat down slowly and tried to numb the pain in my body. She turned towards me with a frown.

"I believe...I owe you an apology." She spoke. Her tone didn't sound like it usually did. Where is would usually sound cold, it instead had...kindness attached to it.

"Don't worry, it's fine." I assured. But she shook her head.

"No, it's not. I treated you terribly since you arrived. I've constantly put you down and even blamed you for Han-Shi attacking the Valley." She looked away shamefully. Seeing someone who I thought was cold and serious so vulnerable was rather sad to see.

"It's okay, really. I forgive you." I assured. Tigress then turned to me with a confused expression.

"You willing to forgive me that easily? Despite all I've said?" She questioned. I merely shrugged.

"Sure. I willing to put the past in the past."

"I..would like that." She said. She then turned her gaze back to the dragon statue. I believe I asked her before what she was doing in her, but she told me it was none of my business. Maybe now she could tell me.

"So...tell me something. Why do you come here time to time?" I asked. She then pointed to the scroll between the dragons teeth.

"That." She said. I then raised a brow in confusion.

"And that is...?"

"The Dragon Scroll. It is said to contain the secret to limitless power. I've been training my whole life to hopefully one earn the title of Dragon warrior."

"Dragon warrior?"

"Supposable to the only person whose permitted to have the scroll."

"And why do you want to get the scroll?" She sighed and looked away.

"It's not so much about the scroll but...for my own reasons."

"And what are those reasons, if you don't mind me asking?" She then looked at me, as if she was searching for a reason to trust me with her reasons. She then sighed once again.

"To make my fathe...Master Shifu proud." She answered.

"You want to make Master Shifu proud? Why?"

"So maybe he'll stop treating me like a student and start treating me like...his daughter." Then it finally it hit me.

"Master Shifu is your father?" I said baffled. She nodded.

"Although he doesn't act like one. I'm more of a student than a daughter to him. Every time I try to appease him or make him proud, he just shoves my effort aside and demands that I train harder."

"He can be a hard-ass at times but I'm sure somewhere inside he cares for you." Despite my words, Tigress had uncertainty plastered on her face. "I'm sure he wasn't all bad his whole life. What was like when he first met you?"

"He was somewhat the same. He wasn't as strict or tempered with my mistakes. But he still had authority in his tone. I first met him when I was a child growing up in the Bao Gu Orphanage. I was...an ill tempered child. My appearance and physical strength frightened the other children and even the adults. And because of that, I was forced to sleep in a celled room, so I wouldn't harm anyone. I was alone. Day and night, I spent all day inside that room. Because of my temper and appearance, they branded me as a monster." After she uttered the last word, a frown formed on her face. "This went on for years until I was five. The orphanage had a visitor who wanted to see...me. Me of all people. I was sat in the corner of my room when the door opened and there he was, Master Shifu. He introduced himself invited me to play a game. I've never had anyone ask me to play a game so I eagerly took up on the offer. This 'game' consisted of mediation to help me control my anger and the use of domino pieces. After months I finally brought my temper under control. The children of the orphanage didn't fear me anymore. At that moment, Master Shifu actually seemed proud of me. And for the first time in my life, I started to make friends. This short moment of bliss didn't last long however. A few days later, adoption day had arrived. I was excited. I felt like this was finally the day I get a family. But it would seem fate was much crueler than I anticipated. Not one single adult even considered adopting me. I felt alone once more. And when it seemed like fate had given up on me, Master Shifu came back and said "Come, let's go home." I felt my heart pounce out of my chest at those words. Home. It seemed like a happy ending to a story. Until we arrived at the Jade Palace. He made it clear that I should address him as 'Master' and not 'Father'. It was like his whole attitude changed once we stepped foot into the Palace grounds. He was more strict and cold. I wanted him to be proud of me. So when I heard the prophesy about the Dragon warrior, I immediately sprung at the chance to achieve this title. And since this I've been training as hard as I could, waiting for the day for the Dragon warrior to be chosen."

"Jesus, that's...quite a story Tigress. I'm sorry you had to go through such a hard life. But in sure things will get better. You'll see. And I've no doubt you'll earn that title."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're an extremely capable fighter. Seriously, I've seen you in battle and I'd just like to say I'm glad you're on my side. You clearly care about the wellbeing of people in the Valley and beyond. And you're always one hundred percent focused when training. I'll bet you'll earn that title hands down." Tigress seemed rather bewildered by my encouragement.

"I don't think I've had anyone believe in me before

"Maybe that's because you needed a friend."

"A friend?" She questioned. I rubbed my neck sheepishly.

"Well...if the position was open, yeah...I'd like to be your friend." Tigress seemed rather shocked at my words.

"Despite every awful thing a said to; you still would like to be friends," I nodded, "Well...okay."

"So, friends?" I extended my hand. She grabbed it with her law and shook it.

"Friends." She said sealing the deal.

"At least now you have someone to talk to if you ever need help with anything. As for now, I'm tired as hell and I'm going to sleep" I then stood up. "You staying here?"

"I'll return to my room shortly."

"Alright then, goodnight Tigress." I said before turning and heading for the door.

"Wait." She called out. I turned. "Since we have the day off tomorrow and now that...we're friends. Would you...care for a game of checkers? And maybe I can show you a few tricks for training." I smiled.

"I'd like that." I said. And then something I've never seen happened. Something I didn't think was imaginable. She smiled. Probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen. I then left the hall and headed back to my room. I laid down and shut my eyes. It was nice to finally patch things up with Tigress. I can't imagine going day to day just giving an awkward hello. I'm glad we're friends now. I'm glad I'm friends the others too. It feels good to finally have friends and a new life. I couldn't help but smile at what Jian said earlier. About saving China. It gave me a strange feeling. Like honour and pride mixed. I yawned and shut my eyes. Guess...you could say...I was sort've...a hero.


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: an authors gratitude_

I will continue the story, but right I'd like to take the time to thank you all who reviewed and took the time to read my story. To be honest there were times where I wonder wether or not I should just give up. I'm glad now that I didn't. Thank you all for your support. So please, keep reviewing and reading.- kristonal prime 23.


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: the study of life_

It had been about three weeks since Han-Shi's death and things have finally seemed to settle down. There was no more panic and things soon went back to normal. I myself have settled in nicely. I had come to terms with my past and was finally happy. I began to become close friends with everyone here, especially Tigress. With bygones being bygones we became good friends. She'd often help me train and even teach me a few useful moves that I could use in battle. On the weekends, we both played checkers. AFTER she had explained the rules to me a hundred times. Even then, I still got my ass kicked. I believe somewhere inside, she found my frustration amusing. And seeing how long I had been here, I decided to tell them all where I was from. Where I was REALLY from. As you could imagine, their reaction was rather...predictable. The room filled with disbelief as soon as I finished my sentence. Mantis concluded that I was just a crazy hobo this whole time but Master Oogway explained to them that my story was true. And even despite how crazy my story was, they didn't treat me any different and accepted me for who I was. Life here certainly was great. A lot of people recognised me as the man who stopped Han-Shi and treated me as a hero. I was finally starting to make a name for myself. Well I thinks that enough blabbing on what happened in the last three weeks. Today was Saturday so we had the day off and I had joined Mantis and Monkey down at the bar after I paid Ling, Kai and Jian a friendly visit. So Mantis, Monkey and myself were now in the bar and we were hanging out with Irish. We were sitting in a booth in the corner of the bar while Irish was finishing up a story he was telling us about some thugs mistook him another irish guy.

"..and then after the fecker pushed my head down the toilet a dozen times, he starts asking for the money, while the other guy starts pissing on my rug!" Irish exclaimed.

"You mean the rug that was in your hall?" Mantis asked. Irish nodded.

"Yeah, it really tied the room together." Irish said taking a sip from his mug.

"This was a valued rug. It-"

"What tied the room together, Irish?" Monkey asked as he returned from the counter with a new drink in his hand.

"Were you listening to the story, Monkey?" Mantis asked.

"What?" Monkey questioned.

"Were you listening to Irish's story?" He repeated.

"I was getting a drink..."

"So you have no frame of reference, Monkey. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of the street and wants to know-"

"Relax, Walter— I mean, Mantis." I intervened. I swear I've heard this conversation somewhere though...

"Another round, lads?" Irish asked. Both Mantis and Monkey nodded while I shook my head.

"No, thanks. I'm believe I'm done for today." I said before getting up from the booth.

"Where are you off to?" Monkey asked.

"I promised Tigress a game a checkers this morning. I've got a good feeling I'll win this time. Anyway I see yeah guys later." I said before leaving. I stepped outside and took a breath of fresh air. I then began to head into the Valley with a smile on my face. I didn't feel as nervous walking through large crowds as I usually did. Mainly because there wasn't much gossip about what kind of species. It was replaced with occasional respectable bow and a friendly 'hello.' I made my way up to the top of the thousands steps and hardy felt short of breath. I believe climbing up it a good few hundred times, you sorta get used to it. I was rather looking forward to playing checkers with Tigress. I was pretty confident that I could beat her this time. However, if I should lose, I might just throw the board out the window. As I was heading to the barracks, I noticed on my way past The Sacred Hall of Warriors that we seemed to have visitors. And Master Shifu seemed to be speaking with them. There was a female lynx and and male one. The female was wearing a what looked like a dark blue dress with long sleeves and had a white and black flower pattern on it. She wore a wrap around her waist which prevented the bottom half of her dress from moving around too much. Her fur was a light brown colour and she had rather cute looking brown spots on her cheeks. She seemed to be carrying a notebook in a sort've schoolgirl fashion. The male lynx was much older. He had old fashioned glasses. He wore a three piece suit with consisted of the jacket and vest being black while his shirt was white. He was also carrying around a cane. Whether it was for show and he needed help me walk, I wasn't sure. I decided not to interrupt their conversation. I attempted to walk around them, but it would seem I caught their attention.

"Ben!" Master Shifu called out to me. I approached him and bowed.

"Yes, Master?" He raised his flute and pointed to the two lynxes.

"These two wish to speak with you," he then turned to them and bowed, "It was pleasure speaking to you both. When you're done here, perhaps you and I could continuing chatting? I would certainly like to hear more about your country. And I could introduce you to my Master as well." Shifu asked the older lynx.

"Capital idea! I shall join you inside once I'm finished." He spoke with a high class British accent.

"I look forward to it. Goodbye for now." Shifu said before entering The Hall of Warriors.

"You wanted to speak to me?" I questioned. The old one then released a heartwarming laugh before taking my hand and shaking it eagerly.

"But of course, old boy! I should introduce myself. My name is Chadwick and this is my daughter Lydia." He said. The female lynx then mimicked his hand shake as she wore a smile on her face.

"It's an absolute pleasure to meet you!" She spoke excitedly, also with a British accent.

"I'm Ben and its a pleasure to meet you too. So, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?" I asked still confused.

"Oh, of course! Well you see, my daughter studies the field of biology and when we heard rumours about a new species being spotted here, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to find you." Chadwick explained.

"You see, we have been traveling around the world for almost a year and a half now. He has been studying different cultures while I study the people in their environment. And when we heard about you, I knew I must meet you." Lydia added.

"So you're here...to study me?" I questioned. Chadwick pointed his cane at his daughter.

"We'll she is. I mostly here to study the Chinese and their culture. Speaking of which, I should convene inside with Shifu." He then patted my shoulder before releasing another laugh. "I shall see you at a later time, old chap. Ta-ta!" He said while he waved his cane before entering The Hall of Warriors.

"I must admit, I'm rather excited about this! How about you?" She asked.

"Well, I...I'm not sure. What I'm I suppose to do?"

"Oh it's very simple, I'll will ask very simple questions, such as what foods you eat and such, the I will like to draw a portrait of you, front, back and sides."

"Sounds easy enough. So...you're just gonna ask me questions and draw a picture of me?"

"Exactly. So are you ready to begin?"

"I...suppose."

"Splendid! Now all we need is a suitable place for me to ask you questions.."

"Well I was on my way to play checkers with a friend, maybe you could tag along and I could answer questions while I play."

"Excellent! Lead the way, if you would." I then continued on my path to the barracks. I was finding all this a bit strange. The fact that at this very moment I was being studied. It's hard to think that these two people who have travelled the world and when they reached China, they came to this very part of it just to see me. It was baffling really. I arrived at the barracks and stepped inside. I approached Tigress's room and noticed her door was left open. I peaked inside and saw he sitting down on a mat with her legs crossed and eyes closed. I lightly tapped on her door to gain her attention. Her eyes opened and her golden orange eyes were set upon me. She released a small smile at my presence. She then stood up.

"I figured you weren't coming." She spoke.

"And pass up the chance to finally beat you in checkers? Not a chance. We have some company this time." I said. Tigress then peaked around me and saw Lydia.

"I see..." Tigress whispered as her smile faded.

"Hello, my name is Lydia. It's a pleasure to meet you...?" Lydia paused and waited for Tigress to say her name. She folded her arms before speaking.

"Tigress."

"That's certainly is a lovely name." Lydia complimented. However, instead of thanking her, Tigress just remained quiet which made Lydia scratch the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I hope you don't mind, Ti. She just wants to ask me some questions for her research." I said.

"Research?" She questioned.

"Yeah, she's a biologist. She wants to study me because she hasn't seen anyone like me. I...kinda said is was okay for her to ask me questions while we play." Tigress sighed.

"I was hoping a quiet and peaceful game. But, I suppose she could stay." She said.

"Oh, thank you. I'll try not to get in the way too much." Lydia said. So the checker board was set up on a wooden table and while Tigress and I sat by it, Lydia sat down near the door and watched. While we began the game, Lydia started asking questions.

"So we'll start with a very basic one. What is the name for your species?" She asked.

"Human." I answered as I picked up a checker piece and placed it further on the board.

"Human? Interesting. And could you describe most humans. Their physical appearance and the such."

"Well, some humans can be tall, small, fat or skinny. Some can have different skin black like brown or white like mine. Most humans like to keep there hair short and heard shaved. But, some like me, like to have long hair and keep a beard." I said, gliding my finger and thumb from the hair above my lip, to the hair on both sides of my lips and finally the hair on my chin. I loved this thing.

"Okay. So, what do humans eat?"

"Well humans are carnivores. But a lot are vegetarians." After Tigress made her move, I moved one piece up and managed to take one of hers. That's how it went for all most an hour or so. She keep throwing questions at me while I played until eventually, my last piece was surrounded by eight of Tigress's.

"I believe your defeat is inevitable." Tigress's proclaimed.

"No, no I can still come back from this. All I need is some matches and something flammable to dampen board." I joked. It made Tigress smile and caused Lydia to giggle.

"You're move." Tigress waved her paw over the board. I moved my piece forward and just accepted my doom. She then used one of her pieces to knock of my last one and took over the spot.

"I hate this game." I said burying my face into my hands.

"Shall we go again?"

"Actually I was hoping a could get your portrait now." Lydia spoke up.

"Oh yeah that's right. You don't mind do you? We can play again once we're done." I said. Tigress then sighed.

"Sure. I'll see you later then." She said.

"Thanks, Ti." I said giving her a friendly pat onto the shoulder which caused her to release a weak smile. "Come on then, Lydia. You can draw me in my room." I then lead her to the room opposite me and closed the door behind me.

"Alright, I would like to begin by just sketching various parts. Like your eyes, nose and mouth. Then I would like to draw a full scale picture of you. After that...well we'll talk about that after we're done here."

"Alright let's get started." So we began by her drawing my ear. Then the nose, then the mouth and so on. After she had finished up drawing various parts we had moved onto drawing me completely. On order to draw however, I had to remove my vest, undershirt and pants. So I was now standing here with my arms out in my underpants. Strangely enough, I didn't really feel awkward or uncomfortable. My body was now more muscular from training none stop. I was actually looked pretty good, if I may so say myself. While she continued to draw me, I decided to strike a conversation.

"So, Lydia. Tell me why you got into the field of biology?" Her eyes perked up at my words and she smiled.

"I stared to get into biology when I was just a teenager. The study of life just fascinated me. I wanted to know why things work like they did. How we function and how live. I just found it exciting. My father, on the other hand, began researching culture. It seems he had a likened towards studying other countries and how their culture differs from our own." She said while continuing to draw.

"From your accent I'd assume you're from England."

"I certainly am. Born and raised. I often get a little homesick from time to time, but that's expected from this line of work."

"Does you father feel the same way?"

"I'm sure he does, but he doesn't really show it."

"He seems like a very jolly person." Lydia chuckled inwardly.

"He certainly is. That's what I love about him. He always tries to keep up positive attitude, even in dark days. When I'm often feeling down, he's always there for me. Never giving up on me and always trying to put a smile on my face." She then lowered her notebook and looked at me. "Is your father like that?" Her question made me frown.

"No...he wasn't. He abandoned me and my mother when I four. I haven't seen him ever since."

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. But al least you still had your mother."

"Yeah, that's true. She somehow managed to make me smile at times when I was really down I the dumps. I wish...I wish she was still with me. She died years ago and I've been alone every since. Well, until I meet everyone here. I arrived about four weeks ago. Ever since then, we've all become good friends."

"How on earth did you become friends with Tigress. I dot mean to be rude but she doesn't exactly seem very forthcoming to strangers."

"Believe me, I got the same treatment when I first arrived. She barely said a word to me, but when she did, she always seem to sound cold. But one night, after the attacks in China, we started to talk. She apologised for how she treated me and I forgave her. Then I offered to be her friend and she accepted. It was strange how my opinion of her changed so quickly. I first thought she was just a cold hard ass. But when we started to play checkers together and hang out, she suddenly became more kind and sweet."

"I hope I can appealed her good nature in time."

"I'm sure you will." After the conversation finished, she spent five more minuets drawing before stopping.

"And there we have it. What do you think?" She inclined. She handed over her notebook to me and I was in awe with what I saw. He was a perfect drawing of me in a sort've Da Vinci human anatomy. There was also various parts drawn like my eye or mouth.

"Holy crap. You sure you're not secretly an artist?" I questioned. She smiled.

"Im quite sure. I'm so glad it's finished now. At least I managed to find you first before..." She paused with uncertainty plastered on her face.

"Before who found me?" She sighed.

"Another biologist and my competitor, who goes by the name of Charles Green. He lived in the same country as myself and always seemed to seek fortune in this line of work. I've been competing with him for years. If he got his hands on the information I've gathered over year, my hard work will have gone to waste and he will just make himself a little bit richer." I took a seat next to Lydia.

"So where is this Charles guy now?"

"Last time I heard he was researching in Korea. And that he might be heading into China soon. If he does and finds me, I have a feeling that he might try and take my research by force."

"Well he'll have to get through us first." I assured. She smiled.

"Thank you."

"Anyway, what's the last thing you need to research with me?" At my words, she froze before giving an embarrassed smile.

"Ah yes, well...it's...about reproduction." I felt my body freeze up and I believe I was blushing.

"Oh..."

"I know you may seem reluctant to discuss that particular topic, but it is necessary."

"Well...what exactly do you want to know? Like about...my bits and bobs."

"No, no nothing...too graphic. I just need you to tell me how humans reproduce."

"Okay...where do I begin." I decided to not to include this part for it was rather awkward to discuss it with her and if I did, I'd have to change this story to an M rating. After explaining how...it was done, she finished up and by this time, the sun had set.

"Well that was certainly a successful day." Lydia proclaimed.

"It certainly was. I expect Viper will have dinner ready by now, care to join us?"

"With Viper, certainly."

"I take it you met her." She nodded.

"Yes, and Crane too. I must say they look rather cute when around one another."

"If you think they look cute together, wait till you see my friends Monkey and Mantis." I joked. I then lead Lydia towards the kitchen to have dinner. When we arrived, there was only Tigress, Crane and Viper inside. "Hey guys." I greeted.

"Hey Ben. Oh, and hi Lydia." Viper said.

"Hello again Viper." Lydia waved.

"Just pull up a chair, I'm almost finished cooking." Viper said. Lydia and I then took a seat and waited for Viper to finish cooking.

"So where are these Monkey and Mantis I've heard about?" Lydia.

"By now, Mantis will be piss drunk with Monkey carrying him on his back...any second now..." Crane said.

"No! Bring me back to the bar! I haven't finished my drink yet!" I heard Mantis shout from the entrance of the building.

"Right on time." I said.

"I think you've had enough for tonight." I heard Monkey say. The two then entered the kitchen and Mantis was riding on Monkeys back.

"I'm back sweethearts!" Mantis shouted.

"Really? I wonder what might have given that away." Viper joked.

"Well, me just telling does. Do you-what I second I'm starting to see things. There's someone else here! They're here to attack us!" Mantis shouted as he leapt off Monkeys shoulder and laced face first onto the table. He then got up and stumbled side to side while throwing punches in random directions. "Let me at em! I'll take all five of you on!"

"She's not an intruder Mantis. Her names Lydia, she's a friend." I explained.

"Lies! You can't fool me, you giant carrot!" He said. A carrot? Really? He slipped onto the table and began to slur in is words. "I'll...stop...you all...you..." His eyes then shut and he began to snore.

"Well that was certainly and strange introduction." Lydia said. I couldn't help but release a chuckle.

"Sorry for his behaviour. My name is Monkey by the way."

"Mines Lydia. A pleasure to meet you Monkey. And I take it that's Mantis?" She said pointing down to the little green bug who was now curled up into a ball and snoring.

"Yup. Isn't he just adorable?" I asked.

"He certainly seems to leave off that impression in his current state." Lydia replied. So we all began to have a conversation about Lydia and her work, and her country. It was very interesting to hear about biology. I took the class in school but I never really showed too much interest. I'm starting to regret it now. It had been about an hour or so and we had all finished our meals. At this time, Shifu and Chadwick entered the kitchen.

"Ah there you are Lydia. Shifu here has graciously invited us to spend the night here." Chadwick said.

"It's the least I could do." Shifu said.

"Thank you very much." Lydia said.

"Speaking of which, I believe you all should rest for the night." Shifu said before leaving. After he did, we all headed for the barracks and headed for our rooms. Before I entered mine, I noticed Monkey putting Mantis in his room. Mantis then stirred slightly and groaned.

"Draw me like one of your French girls, Monkey..." She slurred. Monkey roles his eyes and entered his own room after saying goodnight, leaving myself and Lydia alone i the hall.

"You were correct, they do look cute together." She said. I released a chuckle.

"We'll here wedding bells in no time." I joked. She then released a laugh of her own.

"We'll I believe it's time to call it a night." I then yawned.

"Yeah, we should get some sleep. Goodnight Lydia." I said entering my room.

"Goodnight, my friend." She said heading to her own room. I removed my vest and laid down on my bed. Today was certainly an unexpected one. I never even thought about someone studying me. It was strange but kinda cool too. It was nice to see someone like Lydia be so interested in something. Anyway, I believe it was time to actually to sleep. I shut my eyes and fell into deep slumber.


	22. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: rain cheque on checkers_

I felt my eyes flutter open and began to focus. I released a loud yawn before I sat up. I grabbed my vest, put it on and left my room. I then stopped as I saw Mantis's door open. I peaked inside and saw him snoring loudly while he slept. I couldn't help but laugh inwardly. I then heard a door open behind me and I turned to see Lydia exit the room. She stretched her arms and yawned.

"Morning, Lydia." I said. My greeting caught her attention and she smiled.

"Hello, my friend! And how are you today?"

"I'm doing good, thanks for asking. So what are you getting up to today?" I asked.

"Well, I'll be joining my father today to study the Chinese down I the Valley. Would you care to join us?" I was about to accept her offer, but I realised I had forgotten about the rematch with Tigress yesterday, and it wouldn't be right to just neglect a friend like that.

"I'd love to, but I still have to have a rematch with Tigress."

"I understand. Well I should get going. Have a wonderful day." She said.

"You too." She then left and waved goodbye, to which I returned with one of my own. I then approached Tigress's door and gently knocked. After a short time, it opened relieving Tigress.

"Yes?"

"Hey, Ti. I was wondering if we could have that rematch."

"I believe you were suppose to have it yesterday." She said crossing her arms. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"I'm sorry about that. I just got caught up with helping Lydia, I forgot about it. Really, I'm sorry." She sighed and unfolded her arms.

"It's fine, I guess."

"Thanks, Ti. How about we get some breakfast first before he kick my ass?" She gave a slight nod.

"Sure." We both then headed towards the kitchen. Once we reached it we could voices from within. When we entered the kitchen, we saw Monkey, Viper and Crane.

"Morning, guys." I greeted.

"Hello, you two. Grab a seat and I'll bring you breakfast." Viper said.

"Thanks, Vip." I said before Tigress and I took a seat.

"So, Ben. You didn't exactly tell us why Lydia was here." Monkey said starting up a conversation.

"She's here to study me." I said. Monkey then wore a questionable expression.

"Study you?"

"Yeah. She already told you she was a biologist and when she found out about me, she then came here to do research on me. She asked me questions, drew a diagram of me and...other stuff." I explained and felt rather reluctant to mention what happens after everything else.

"You didn't tell her...where you were really from did you?" Crane asked. I shook my head.

"That's something that should just be kept between us. God only knows how others might react."

"They'll probably call you a crazy hobo like Mantis did." Monkey joked. While Viper and Crane released a chuckle, I merely rolled my eyes. Before we could continue to speak, the sound of a distant moan could be heard coming from the entrance to the kitchen. Monkey then rested his head on one hand.

"Gee, I wonder who that could be?" He asked sarcastically. Moments after he finished his sentence, Mantis stumbled in while holding his head.

"Look who manage to pull himself out of bed this morning." Crane joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell me I shouldn't have gotten drunk, give me a lecture, but most important give me breakfast." He moaned. He leapt onto the table and fell felt onto his stomach.

"I don't think it would be wise to have breakfast after a night of drinking." Viper advised. Mantis just shook his head dismissively.

"I'll be fine."

"I'm just looking out for you." Viper said concerned. Mantis then sighed.

"Fine. I'll skip breakfast. By the way, was it me or was there a stranger here yesterday?"

"Yeah. Her name was Lydia. Her father and her stayed here for the night." I said.

"Really? Why?" He asked.

"She's a biologist. Her father is here to study the Chinese, while Lydia was here to study me."

"Study you? You mean like ask you questions and crap like that?" I nodded. His expression then changed to mischievous one. "Ask you questions huh? Did one of those questions revolve around...sex?" I felt my whole body freeze and my cheeks fill with beat. For the love of god, did he really just say that? Of course he did, it was Mantis! Oh god this is embarrassing.

"I-I-I...u-um." I was unable to get any words out and I released an uncontrollable stutter. Mantis then laughed.

"Oh my god, there was wasn't there! Oh this is priceless." He laughed.

"Mantis, stop it you're embarrassing him!" Viper scolded. I buried my face into my hand as I felt my cheeks flare up.

"Did you describe it to her, or did you have to drop your pants?"

"Mantis!" Everyone exclaimed in unison. Mantis then stayed quiet as we all continued to eat in silence. No one said a word and I finally felt my cheeks cool down.

"But did you have to drop your pants?"

"Oh, Jesus Christ!" I exclaimed as I found my face buried into my hands once again. So after the most embarrassing moment had ended, Tigress and I started to head to her room to play checkers. On the way, I remained quiet. And this struck Tigress as unusual.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Oh, just fine. I'm only recovering from the most embarrassing moment of my life." I replied sarcastically.

"If it's any consolation, I believe Mantis is being punished by Viper ."

"I guess every cloud does have a sliver lining. Anyway, are you prepared to finally lose?"

"If you're willing to actually try this time, sure." I couldn't help but smile at her smart ass response.

"I love when you try to trash talk. It's so cute." I teased. She then playfully punch my arm. "Hey! Don't talk bad unless you're willing to take a little heat yourself."

"Save your brave words for the game." She said.

"I intend to. I'm pretty sure...wait a second." As we were passing the Hall of Warriors, I noticed someone coming up the steps. It looked like...

"Oh, bugger me!"

"Chadwick!" I exclaimed. We rushed towards him as we saw him practically crawling up the final few steps. He looked like he had been attacked. As I reached him, I grabbed one arm while Tigress grabbed the other and we both brought him back onto his feet.

"Oh, thank you." He spoke. He seemed to be short of breath.

"Are you alright? What happened?" I asked.

"I was down in the Valley and all of a sudden, Lydia and I were attacked! We were surrounded by the buggers. And then I saw him."

"Who?"

"Charles bloody Green."

"You mean Lydia's competitor?"

"The very same."

"Where did he take her?"

"Somewhere outside town I believe."

"Don't worry, Chadwick. We'll get her back." I assured. Instead of seeming thankful, he shook his head dismissively.

"You don't understand, if you try to face him head on he'll kill her. He gave me this." He then pulled out a folded up piece of paper. I took it and opened it. And it read;

'If wish to have Lydia returned in one piece, you'll bring me her research by dusk, or I will personally mail her to you in pieces. Be outside of the Valley in an hour.''

"I can tell already I not gonna like this guy." I spoke crumbling his piece of paper in my hand.

"What do we do?" Tigress asked. I began to stroke my chin and starting to think. After a short time, I came up with an idea.

"I think I've got a plan. Tigress, bring Chadwick to the kitchen and let him rest. Then tell the guys to meet me down at the Guard barracks."

"Alright." She nodded. She wrapped Chadwick's arm around her and began to being him to the kitchen. I then headed as fast as I could to my room. I scavenged through my desk in my room for...

"Yes!" I then pulled out a large notebook had I got two weeks ago to practice drawing on. Funny enough it was still blank. I guess I never really got around to drawing. Until now. I took a pencil and began to draw. 'I hope this works.' I thought.

One hour later, outside the Valley...

I was standing outside the Valley with the guys and I held the notebook in my hand. We all remained quiet and waited for Charles to come. After sometime, we were approached by two wolves.

"Have you got the research?" One asked. I held up the notebook. The other then walked towards me.

"Hand it over." The other said. I then held out my hand stopping him in his tracks.

"Not till we see Lydia." I said.

"Once we have the research, we'll bring you the girl."

"Bullshit. You bring us to her, and then you get the research." I said. One wolf looked at the other before one spoke.

"Follow us. And don't try anything." One wolf took up the rear while the other lead us further outside the Valley. After a short time, we found ourselves outside a cave where two boars stood guard outside. They have us threatening gaze as we entered. It was lit up with torches, and there was a lot more people inside. They all carried weapons and tightened their grip as we dwelled further inside. We stepped walking once we came into a large with room. There was torches all around us and there was a wooden balcony with wooden steps leading up to it. And on that balcony, was an antelope wearing glasses and dark grey robes. He had a villainous smile on his face.

"Greetings, my friends. I believe I should introduce myself. I'am Charles Green." He spoke with a deep British accent. His eyes then locked onto me. "And you, must be this new species I've heard about. Lydia's research on you will certainly get me a prize back in England."

"The only thing you'll get from me is a kick up the ass." I spat.

"Such aggression. It's very unbecoming."

"Cut the crap, Green. Where is she?" He then waved an arm to his right. Then I saw two wolves dragged Lydia towards the balcony.

"Get your paws off, you louts!" She yelled. As she came into view, I noticed her paws were tied behind her back.

"Now, give me the research." Green ordered. I stood idle for a while, before reluctantly handing it over the a wolf who brought it up to him.

"Now, give her back." I ordered.

"But of course!" He then nodded to one of the wolves holding Lydia. And within seconds, the wolf picked her up and threw her over the balcony. As she screamed for dear life, I acted quickly and lunged forward with my arms out.

"Gotcha!" I said as I caught her bridal style.

"Kill them!" Green ordered before turning towards an exit behind him and started heading out of it with a handful of his goons.

"Lydia, get behind me." I said.

"Time to kick some ass!" Mantis shouted before his threw himself into battle. The rest of us then followed by example. I came face to face with a boar and he swung his axe. I sidestepped and kicked the weapon out of his grasp and kicked him straight into the nose knocking clean out. Then a wolf came at me with a sword. He swung his rapidly but I managed to dodge his attacks and grabbed his sword by the hilt and pulled it from his paws. I then smashed the hilt over his head before upper cutting him with my left hand.

"Ben, duck!" I heard Tigress shout. I didn't question her words but did as I was asked. I then felt her roll across my back and strike an ox in the face with her foot.

"Thanks, Ti." I said before returning to battle. After knocking out countless goons, we finally stopped them all. I turned towards Lydia and saw her on her knees with a saddened expression. I approached her removed the bindings on her wrists and help her to her feet.

"Thank you..." She said sadly.

"What's with the long face?" I asked.

"All my research...is gone. All my work is gone to waste.." I then flashed a smile.

"I wouldn't say that."

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"I didn't give him your research." Her eyes then widened.

"What? But I saw-"

" I gave him a blank notebook. Well except one page. Which consists of a picture of my middle finger."

"You mean my research is...?"

"Safe and sound at the Jade Palace." She remained motionless for a short time before she leapt forward and planted dozens of kisses on my cheek.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said excitedly. She then pulled away, realising what she did and blushed. "Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly. I rubbed my cheeks as I felt them beat up as well.

"I've got a feeling he didn't just dropped his pants.." I heard Mantis whisper loudly. I then heard the sound of something being hit. "Ow!" He yelled.

"You really need to learn when to shut your mouth." I heard Viper say.

"But wait. What about Charles? He tried to have you killed and he's gotten away." She said worried. I then smirked.

"Wrong again I'm afraid. That has been taken care of."

"How? You're in here and he's probably-"

"We were being followed by some friends of ours. The captain of the guard and a handful of the Valleys guards. By now he's probably in cuffs." Lydia then smiled.

"You are something special, you know that." I shrugged.

"I'am a pretty special guy. Come on we should all head back to the Jade Palace." I said. The rest nodded and we made our way outside and saw Kai and Jian outside.

"Damn good bunch to occupy our cells today. Nice work, Ben." Jian said.

"Thanks, Jian." I then saw Kai pushing Charles forward. I noticed he was carrying my notebook in his hand. "Hello again, Charles."

"You'll regret messing with me, you lout!" He spat.

"I take it you don't like my drawing."

"What drawing?" Kai asked.

"Open the first page of the notebook." Kai then followed my instructions and opens the notebook. After, seconds he burst in laughter.

"This will certainly be a story to tell back at the barracks." He said.

"Thanks again, guys."

"No problem. It's the least we can do for our friends." Kai said.

"That's right. Now lets bring our guests to their room." Jian said. We then headed back to the Valley and said goodbye to Jian and Kai before heading up the Jade Palace. By the this time, the sun had set and we headed for the kitchen for dinner. Inside, we found Chadwick, who leapt off his seat and wrapped his arms around his daughter. As we all began to have dinner, Lydia told her father about what happened. By the end of the story, he was laughing his head off. We had finished our meal and headed to our rooms. As everyone retreated into their rooms, I found myself alone in the hall with Lydia once again.

"This will certainly be a tale to tell to my mother when I get home."

"It was a crazy day."

"An exciting one, if I may be so bold."

"I take it being held hostage kinda gives you a strange trill. By the way, how's does it feel to be my first damsel in distress?" I asked.

"Oh, it's just wonderful. I feel honoured even." She replied sarcastically.

"Well, I guess we should call it a night." I suggested.

"I suppose." She said. She stood there for a short time before she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head in my chest. "Goodnight, my friend."

"Goodnight." She then entered her room and shut her door. Seconds later, I saw Tigress enter the barracks. "Hey, Ti."

"Hello." She greeted back. She however had a frown on her face.

"Listen, Ti, I'm really sorry about how I've neglecting you these two days."

"It's fine." I shook my hands dismissively.

"No it's not. You're my friend and I shouldn't have ignored you like that. I should have treated you better." She the smiled.

"You can make it up to me by being my punching bag tomorrow during training."

"Fair enough. I can work with that." I the released I smile of my own.

"Goodnight, Ben." She said, entering her room.

"Night, Ti." She then shut her door as I did the same. I removed my vest and laid down on my bed and shut my eyes.


	23. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23: making plans_

It had been weeks since Lydia and Chadwick had came to visit. We had said our goodbyes and I believe she said she was heading north to more countries. It was quite sad to say goodbye to someone I was just becoming friends with. But I guess it's for the best. I continued to train as hard as I could during the weeks and Tigress was beginning to teach me how to fall from heights without being feeling too much pain. As you could imagine, the first times I tried, I either hurt myself trying or fell flat on my ass. Tigress, however, encouraged me to keep trying. And so I did. This went on for sometime until I decided to take a break from it and move onto free running. I tied practicing this on my own either in the Training hall or in the Valley at night. I was actually getting pretty good at it. I know it may sound a little nerdy, but while I'm was free running, I sort've imagined that I was an Assassin chasing Templars. Yeah I think I'll just skip my geeky fantasies, to save myself from embarrassment. I believe, today was Sunday and to be more exact, it was February the fourteenth, the day of romance. Well romance for others anyway. I've never had a date with someone on this so called day of love. And because of that, I usually just stayed home and played Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. It was rather depressing to be alone for so many years. But I should stop crying about my love problems. Right now I was in the Training hall with Tigress, Crane and Viper. While Crane and Viper sparred with one another, Tigress was trying to teach me how to preform a kick which consists of spinning in a three-sixty motion and then striking your opponent with your foot. It's apparently a way to get more power out of your kicking. I stood with my arms crossed and watch her demonstrate it.

"Just try to spin as fast as you can and deliver the kick swiftly and hard. Now watch closely." She spoke. She then took up her usual fighting stance in front of a boxing bag and took a deep breath. She then leapt into the air and spun quickly and struck the bag hard with her foot, causing it to sway side to side fast.

"Alright, seems pretty straight forward." I said. I stepped forward and took a deep breath before getting into a defensive position. I then leapt into the air and attempted to spin. However, I failed miserably and only managed to preform a one-eighty."Crap."

"Try again." Tigress said. I then repeated my actions only to fail once more.

"Crap." I tried again, and was greeted with the same result. "Crap!"

"Concentrate. Just try and relax." Tigress advised. I nodded and stepped forward one last time. I took a deep breath and stared at the bag. I then leapt into the air and...

"Yes!" I exclaimed triumphantly as I found myself turning in a three-sixty motion. But I suddenly found myself turning beyond my designated degree and spun like wheel before hitting the ground and finding myself on my back. "Crap." I sighed in defeat as I stared up at the boxing bag which remained still and mocking me with its presence. Tigress then got down on one knee and positioned herself over me.

"Are you alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah. My back took most of the impact though. But I'll be fine."

"Perhaps we should continue this tomorrow." She suggested. But I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine. I can keep training." I assured.

"It's good to see you take your training seriously, but you must learn to know when to rest. And I believe nows the time." She said. I then sighed.

"Alright, I'll stop." She then smiled.

"Good. Now, how about now checkers?" She asked. Checkers did sound nice, but there was something I had been meaning to ask her. I sat up and twiddled my thumbs nervously.

"Actually, I was hoping to ask you something.." I said.

"Which would be..?"

"Well...um. I was wondering...if you'd like...to have dinner with me tonight." I smiled sheepishly. Her eyes widened.

"Dinner? Like...a date?" I then waved my hands defensively.

"No, no. Just as friends. It's sort've a way for me to properly thank you for helping me train and of course being my friend." Her face seem to wield uncertainty and confusion.

"I...um. I'm not really certain what to think right now. No ones ever really...ask me to dinner before."

"Come on, it's Valentines day. If both of us are going to spend it alone, the least we could do is spend it alone together." She then seemed to dwell into her thoughts before she raised her head.

"Sure. Dinner sounds...nice. I won't have to wear anything formal will I?"

"Of course not. It's just friends having dinner. Wear what you want."

"Alright then. Where exactly will we be having dinner?"

"There's this restaurant down in the Valley called 'Luc's cuisine.' Do you I know where it is?" She nodded.

"Yes. So what time do you wish for me to be there?"

"Six o clock."

"Alright, I'll be there. For now, I think I'll meditate in my room. I'll see you later." She got back onto her feet and hurried out of the hall. I stood up and smiled. I believe that went better than I expected. Thankfully I've saved up a bit of yuan from helping Ling, Kai and Jian with things. So I had the money to pay for it all. I'm glad I got up the nerve to ask. I've been pondering how I could thank Tigress helping me this past month, I'd a figured maybe a night out wouldn't be so bad. It was just dinner, but I couldn't help but feel a little nervous for some reason. I suppose I'll just have to try and suck it up. As I stood there for sometime deep in thought, I notice both Crane and Viper approaching my direction. And they both seemed to be talking with one another.

"That was good training today, you did really good, Viper." Crane said. Viper then released a warm smile.

"You did pretty good yourself, Crane. Anyway I think I'm gonna go get something to drink from the kitchen. I'll see you guys later." Viper said before turning to leave.

"No, wait!" Crane called her back. She then turned, which made Crane caress his wings nervously. "I-I..um...I hope you have...I nice drink..." He stuttered. A nice drink? The hell?

"Um...thanks?" She said confused. She then shook her head. "Anyway, see you two later."

"Yeah...see you, Viper..." Crane spoke sadly while I just waved goodbye. I then noticed Crane seemed to be a little down. I then approached him.

"Hey, Cranester, you okay?" I asked as I placed a hand on his shoulder. At my touch, he released a yelp and leapt into the air.

"Gah! Ben! Where did you come from?" He asked, surprised and almost frightened. I then raised a brow.

"What are you talking about? I've been standing like five feet away from you the whole time."

"You have? I didn't notice."

"You didn't notice the six foot man with long black hair and beard?" I asked with a smile. He then rolled his eyes.

"I did, no I didn't. I...ah hell!" He exclaimed while he threw his wings up in frustration.

"Crane, what's been up with you lately? You've been acting strange all week..."

"Nothing, I've just...got...things on my mind." He said averting his gaze.

"Care to share it with me?"

"I..." I put my arm around him and gave him a playful pat on the back.

"Come on, man. You know you can tell me anything, I'm your friend." He turned his head back and started to think. He then sighed.

"If I do, will you promise not to laugh?" I nodded. He took a deep breath. "The reason I've been acting strange...is because...I...I'M TRYING TO ASK VIPER OUT ON A DATE!" He shouted before covering his face with his wings. Holy crap! Crane has the hots for Viper?! I guess it wasn't really a surprise to me, I've seen them two together at times and they get on really well with one another. And I guess Lydia put it best; they looked cute together.

"Why would I laugh at something like that?"

"You...don't find it funny?"

"Of course not, what's wrong with having a little crush on someone?" He then rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Well...it's kind've...more than a little crush.."

"A big crush?" He shook his shook and lowered it. And that's were I drew the conclusion.

"You...love her?" He nodded and sighed.

"I could I not? She's the sweetest person I've ever met. She's been kind to me since I've first arrived here. She's so beautiful and majestic." He then smiled. "I remember one day, we were both by the peach tree and we watch the sunset together. She leaned into me and rested her head against me. It was...one of the most memorable moments of my life..." He lowered his head and frowned.

"Damn, I knew you two were close, but...I never figured that close. Have you told her?."

"No. I haven't told anyone. Well, anyone except you."

"How long have you had feelings for her?"

"Years." He admitted shamefully.

"Damn, man. That's gotta suck hiding your feelings from her for so long."

"Don't get me started. Every year when it gets around Valentines day, I always say to myself that this will be it. I'll tell her. But every time, I chicken out. I just want to tell, but I'm afraid to try." Seeing my friend so upset over something that's important to him made me feel a little sad myself. I only wish I could do something to...wait.

"What if I found out if she like you? Would you ask her out then?"

"I...guess. Why?"

"I'm gonna go and talk to her. I'll try to steer to conversation between you two and find out if she likes you. Then I'll come back here and give you her answer."

"You'd do that, for me?" He asked surprised.

"Damn, right. You my friend and I'll do anything to help you out." He then smiled.

"Thanks, Ben."

"No problem, buddy. Now, I'll go talk to her. I'll be back soon." I said before turning and heading out the door. I started to head over to the kitchen and planned out what I would say. I reached the kitchen and entered. When I was inside, I saw Viper next to the sink drinking a cup of water. She turned as she heard me approached and smiled.

"Hey, Ben. How are you?" She asked taking a sip from her cup.

"Hey, Vip. I'm fine, thanks for asking. I was wondering if I could talk to you."

"Of course, what do you want to talk about?"

"It's about Crane." She then ceased her drinking as she heard his name.

"Crane? What about him?"

"Have you noticed how odd he's been acting this week?"

"I have actually. He's seems to act like this every year. I don't know what's up with him. I hope he's alright..."

"I'm sure he is. In fact I believe I know why he's acting this way."

"You do?" I then gestured for her to come closer. She leaned in and listened closely.

"You didn't hear this from me, but...I think he's planning on asking a girl out." Viper's smile then faded and was replaced with a frown.

"He...he is." I nodded. She then lowered her head sadly. "Oh..."

"What's with the long face? Aren't you glad for him?"

"Of course...it's just...never mind."

"Hey, come on, what is it? You can tell me."

"I was hoping...that...he would ask...me out." She admitted with a blush.

"Wait? You like Crane?"

"I...kind've have a crush on him. Well, if I'm honest...it's more than a crush."

"Really?" She nodded.

"I've always like him. He's fun to hang around with and he's so cute when he's shy. I love every minuet I spend with him. And I had hoped that we might become closer." She then frowned. "But it looks like he has someone else to get closer with now." I felt a twinge of guilt build up inside for making Viper believe that Crane was asking another girl out. So I decided to tell her the truth, or at the least some of it.

"I wouldn't look so down. I think the girl he wants to ask out is...you." Her eyes widened and her face filled with hope.

"R-really?"

"I think. I'm not sure. Maybe, I could...talk him into telling me who it is."

"I'd really appreciate if you did."

"Of course. Anything for a friend." She reclaimed her smile once more.

"Thank you."

"No problem. I'll go speak to him now. See you later."

"Bye, Ben." She waved her tail. Well I guess this was a success. I better go tell Crane the news. I can't wait to see his expression when I tell him. It's gonna be priceless. As I was on my way back to the Training hall, I stopped outside the Hall of Warriors on my way there when I noticed Mantis and Monkey standing outside. I approached them to say hello.

"Hey, guys." I greeted. When they heard me, they both turned.

"Oh, hey, Ben." Monkey greeted.

"What's up, man?" Mantis added.

"Nothin much. I'm just...what are you wearing?" I asked as I released a chuckle. I only just noticed now that he was wearing a bow tie that was fitted for his size. My god that's adorable.

"What? It's to impress the ladies. Monkey and I are going to see if we can pick up some women."

"Of only there was time to warn the women in the Valley of your arrival. Aw well, looks like they'll have to fend for themselves." I joked.

"Hardy, harr. What exactly are you doing today?"

"I'm gonna have dinner down in the Valley with Tigress." They both then remained quiet with widened eyes. I shrugged, "What?"

"You have a date with TIGRESS?!" Mantis exclaimed.

"What? No. It's not a date it's just dinner." I spoke defensively. They, however, remained unconvinced.

"Whatever you say, buddy. Good luck getting your arms ripped off by her." Monkey joked as they both began to descend down the steps.

"It's not a date!" I shouted down at them. I swear it wasn't! It's just frickin dinner between two friends. As screw this, back to the story. I arrived at the Training Hall and saw Crane pacing back and forth nervously inside. He then saw me enter.

"You're back. Good. So...what did she say." I sighed.

"She...likes another guy." His face then filled with horror and dismay.

"W-w-what?" I then released a chuckle and put my arm around him.

"I'm kidding! She likes you, man. She REALLY likes you."

"You nearly have a heart attack! Why did you-wait...did you just say she likes me?"

"That's right."

"Likes...ME"

"Yeah." His beak hung open in a comical fashion as he stood as still as a statue. I waved my hand in front of his eyes but he remained motionless. "Crane, can you hear me? Hello?" Despite me trying to catch his attention, he just stood there, not moving an inch. Suddenly, he spread his wings and launched into the air while grabbing me with his talons, bringing me with him.

"She like me! She likes me!" He shouted causing his voice to echo throughout the hall.

"Crane! You're gonna dropped me! Put me down!" I panicked, while being spun in various directions with the avian who was in a state of bliss.

"This is the greatest day of my life!"

"This'll be my last if you drop me from this height!"

"What? Oh! Sorry, Ben!" He apologised. He then lowered himself to the ground allowing me to land safely. However, as I touched the ground, I swayed side to side, trying to regain my balance.

"Jesus, I'm dizzy." I said feeling like I was going to be sick.

"I'm really sorry. I-I was just-"

"It's okay, Crane. You're happy as hell, I get it."

"Happy? That's even a strong enough word to describe me right now."

"So, what are you gonna do now?" I inclined. He then ceased his celebration.

"What I'm I gonna do now? What I'M I gonna do now?!"

"You're gonna ask her out, remember?"

"Ask her out. Okay. Yeah. How do I do that again?" I rolled my eyes and began pushing him out the door.

"Come on. It's show time." We then began to head back to Viper, while Crane just kept panicking and wondering what he was going to say. I assured that've could do it and all he had to do was ask. We then found ourselves outside the kitchen.

"Ben, I don't know if I can do this..." Crane said reluctantly.

"Come on, man. You can do this." I said patting his back. Yet he still seemed uncertain. "Look, Crane. There's a girl in there that you like and she likes you. You want to show her that you love her. The only way that's going to happen is if you walk in there and ask her out. You can do it, I know you can." He look at me with thoughtful eyes and the he turned his gaze towards the entrance to the kitchen. He then threw on a serious face.

"I'm going in." He stated.

"Good luck, man." He then entered the building while I followed behind from a distance. I shouldn't get in his way while he asked so I decided to hide behind the door and just listen. I heard Crane step inside as he cleared his throat.

"V-viper?" He said. I short silence ensured before there was a reply.

"Oh, hello, Crane. How's it going?"

"Just fine. I was just wondering if..." Crane paused.

"If what?" Viper questioned. Crane released a few shaky breaths before taking a deep breath.

"I was wondering if...you'd...do me the honour of...going on a date with me." He managed to get out but his voice broke up with the final words.

"I'd love to Crane."

"Okay, I understand I...d-did you just say...yes?"

"Yes." She confirmed. Crane the. Released a nervous laugh.

"Wow! I mean, um, great."

"Yeah it's...great. So where will we be having this date?"

"The...place...yeah." He muttered. Oh crap, how could we forget about the damn place. I quickly improvised and began to whisper to Crane.

"Say your going you're going to Luc's cuisine.." I muttered.

"We're going to Luc's cuisine. You...know the place?" Crane asked.

"I do. What time do you want me to be there?" Crane then leaned back for me to answer.

"Six o clock.." I muttered.

"Six o'clock." He repeated.

"Alright, I'll see you then. Bye Crane." Oh crap. She's gonna walk right past me. Better improvise. I leapt towards the entrance of the kitchen and pretended that I had just walked in. When I did, Viper had exited the kitchen and bumped into me.

"Hey, Viper, what's up?" I asked casually.

"Something great just happened!" She exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"Crane, just ask me out on a date!" I then widened my eyes and look surprised.

"Wait, really? Damn. Lucky you, huh?"

"Oh this is going to be romantic. I better get ready. See you later, Ben." She said before slithering quickly out the door. I headed inside and noticed Crane releasing nervous laughs.

"You did, Crane!" I congratulated.

"Yeah, I did. I...I did!" His happiness then faded. "Oh, god no.."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm going to have to sit through a whole night stuttering and being awkward as hell."

"Don't worry, I think I got a plan.."


	24. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24: the feline, the avian and the serpent_

It had been an hour or so since I explained the plan to Crane and it was now nearly six o clock. We were both down in the Valley, standing outside Luc's cuisine.

"Alright, let's to through the plan one more time.." Crane requested.

"You'll be at one side of the restaurant, while be on the other. I sit facing you and you sit facing me. If you feel like you can't get word out, signal me and I'll come over and help you out."

"How will you help me out without Viper seeing you?"

"Inside, there's a small little garden with bushes and flowers. I can hide in there and tell you what to say."

"Alright, alright. I can do this...I can do this." He assured himself.

"I know you can. Now, go inside and ask for a table by the garden."

"Aren't you coming inside?"

"Not just yet. I'm waiting for Tigress to come." His eyes then widened.

"You have a date with Tigress?!" I released an annoyed sigh.

"No. It's just dinner, I swear."

"Well...if you say so." He said unconvinced.

"Get inside before I eat your hat." I said annoyed. He then released an inward chuckle as he headed inside. Good god why can't this people understand that it's just dinner between two friends...on Valentines day...the day when you ask people out on dates...yeah I'm beginning to see why they presumed as much. I waited for sometime outside the restaurant and waited for Tigress to arrive. For some reason, I felt a little nervous, even though there was no reason to be. I guess I just wanted to her to have a good time and not screw things up. I hope I don't. After waiting for sometime, the sun had set and a familiar face approached. My serpent friend.

"Hey, Ben." Viper greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Vip, what's up?"

"I was just about to have dinner with Crane. What are you doing here?"

"I'm having dinner here too. With Tigress." Her eyes then widened.

"You have a date-"

"No! It's just dinner!" I cried out. Viper then released a chuckle and tried to suppress it with her tail.

"There's no need to be embarrassed."

"I'm not! Because its not a date, I swear!"

"Alright, alright. No need to be overdramatic. Anyway, have you seen Crane?"

"Yeah, he's inside waiting for you."

"Thanks. Have with your dat...dinner with Tigress." She corrected herself.

"Yeah, you too." She then slithered inside as I continued to wait. After a short period of time, I saw Tigress approach the restaurant. I smiled at her presence, to which she returned with one of her own.

"Hello, Ben." She greeted.

"Hey, Tigress. How you doing?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Ready to head inside?" She then made a gesture with her paw.

"Lead the way." I then nodded and headed inside with her following behind. As we stepped inside, the scent of sweet food and a colourful atmosphere greeted us. The whole restaurant was lit up with lanterns which shun off the red and golden wallpaper. There was a small fountain that stood near the entrance along with many potted plants. The air filled with the sound of conversation and the sound of music being played. Tigress and I descended down a small set of steps before coming to the front desk. Behind it was a male goat wearing glasses, light blue robes and had a curled black moustache. He raised his head and smiled.

"Bonjour! I see my wonderful food has drawn you back here." He spoke with a distinct French accent.

"It certainly has, Luc. And it seems to have brought company as well." I said. He then turned his gaze to Tigress.

"Ah! You are expecting a...special night? Eh?" I then laughed nervously.

"No, nothing like that. I just want a table for two and spend the night with a friend."

"But of course! Right this way." He said leading us to an empty table with two chairs. The table had white cloth over it with a candle in the centre. I then looked around the room for Viper and Crane. My eyes then locked onto the avian and serpent as they seemed to be looking at the menu. Crane then raised his head and noticed me. I have a slight nod and he returned with one of his own. I need to get the seat facing him so I quickly pulled out the chair that faced away from him and gestured for Tigress to take a seat. She then smiled.

"Thanks." She said before taking a seat.

"No problem. Now, take a look at the menu and see if there's anything you like. Tonight, it's on me."

"Are you sure. I'd be more that willing to pay my half." I shook my head.

"No. I'd like to pay for tonight. It's my treat."

"If you insist. Thank you."

"Just try and order something other than those tiny cubes you have everyday. Get something that actually counts as food."

"Alright. I'll have...the cooked salmon, please."

"One cooked salmon for the lady. Any yourself?" Luc took down her order on a little notepad.

"I'll have the same, Luc, thanks."

"Two salmons coming up. I'll have a waiter being you some complementary wine. On the house of course for Valentines day."

"Thanks, Luc." He then left before a waiter arrived with two round glasses and a bottle of wine. I then took it and poured myself a glass before offering to fill Tigress's.

"I'm not sure I should drink alcohol. I've never really had a taste for it."

"It's wine, Tigress. Not vodka. Come on, you should enjoy yourself. You'll like it, I promise." She then sighed.

"Alright. One glass."

"There we go! I knew you could have fun." I then poured her a glass and she picked it up. She brought it up to her nose and took a whiff. She seemed to like the scent as she brought it to her lips and took a sip.

"This...tastes quite nice." She said taking another sip.

"I told you that you'll like it."

"Yeah. I guess there is no harm in trying something new. Thanks for...all this."

"Of course. I had to thank you probably for helping me train."

"I was just helping my friend."

"And you did. Big time. Half the moves I'm pulling now in a fight, are because of you. You've been a good friend and I'm glad to have you as one." I admitted. She then smiled.

"I'm glad we're friends too." We both continued to sip our wine until I got a little curious about something.

"Can I...ask you something?" She nodded.

"Sure."

"Why do you act more open around me and act more quiet and reserved than the others?" She stared into her glass and stirred it slightly.

"I'm...not" target="_blank"m...not certain. I guess...it's because...I trust you more."

"You do?"

"Yes. You're the only person I've shared my last with. I kept it to myself for so many years. I never really trusted people. Even the ones I lived with for so long."

"What made you trust me?" She then raised her head and looked at me.

"I'm...not sure. I guess it's because despite how horrible I treated you, you didn't shun me away like so many others. You still spoke to me. I wasn't sure why you did."

"Well, you may have said some things that kinda hurt me. But, for some reason I couldn't be mad at you. I think I believed that somewhere inside you, that there was some kindness. And wouldn't you know, there was."

"I'm not so sure about that..."

"What would make you think that?"

"I'm certain you've seen me at times. I have a bit of a nasty temper. And I can sometimes be coldhearted."

"Maybe. But when I look at you now, I see one of my greatest friends, who is one of the nicest person I've ever met." Her expression then changed to a surprised one.

"You...think that of me?" I nodded. "I...really appreciate that." I raised my glass.

"To friendship?" She smiled and tapped her glass against mine.

"To friendship." We both then took a sip out of glasses.

"Damn, this IS good." I then began to drink more than I few sips and found myself with an empty glass. "Oh, life. Why must thou be so cruel." I joked. Being caught up in the conversation, I had completely forgotten about Crane. I quickly peeked around Tigress and noticed his tipping his hat back and forth. Which was our signal. "Oh crap."

"What's the matter?" Tigress asked.

"What? Oh, nothing. It's just the wine went right through me. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a sec." I then got up from my seat and went around tables until a ducked behind the small garden that was next to Cranes table.

"Crane, are you alright? You've been moving your hat back and forth for almost five minutes.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just trying...to at it into a comfortable position." He then peeked over his shoulder and noticed me. "And I believe I found the right spot."

"Well, alright then." Viper said confused.

"Sorry, buddy. I was caught up with talking with Tigress. anyway, have you tried telling her how beautiful her eyes are?" Crane then cleared his throat.

"Viper, I-I just wanted to say that...I think y-you have very beautiful eyes."

"You...really think that?" Viper asked. He shook his head. "Thank you, Crane. That's very sweet of you to say."

"Now, ask her about how her families doing and try and take it from there. I have to get back to Tigress.." I whispered.

"So, Viper, how's your family doing these days?"

"Oh, they're doing great! My little sister has stared to learn how to cook and..." Viper words became distant as I moved further away from the table and found myself back at my own.

"Sorry for taking so long." I apologised.

"It's alright. Nothing too exciting happened while you were gone." I then began to pour myself another glass of wine.

"Good, it would be a terrible shame if I missed anything."

"Anyway, I believe out meal is about to be serve."

"Oh, great. I'm starving." I said taking a sip from my glass. Another waiter then arrived with two plates. He placed man in front and me and the other in front of Tigress.

"Enjoy your meal." He bowed before leaving. I inhaled through my nose and allowed the beautiful scent of fish enter my nostrils.

"Damn, this smells gorgeous."

"It certainly seems to leave that impression." Tigress added. I then took a knife and fork in my hands and dug into the fish with the fork. I sliced off a fraction of it and brought it to my mouth and began to chew. I then released a satisfied moan.

"Oh, Jesus this is nice." Tigress then took a bite of hers.

"I can vouched for that."

"So, tell me. Do you-" I stop mid sentence as I noticed Crane tipping his hat. "Uh...will you excuse for a second."

"Um...sure." Tigress said confused. I then got up quickly and headed for the garden and once again, his behind it.

"Anyway, that's it for my family. If you'll excuse me Crane I need to use the bathroom." Viper said.

"Oh sure. See you in a bit." Viper then slithering away towards the bathroom. I popped up from the bushes.

"Crane, man, I don't think I can keep ditching Tigress. You're gonna have to find a way to confess your feelings." I said.

"I keep freezing up. I don't know if I can do it..." He doubted himself.

"Alright, look. When she comes back ask her to dance."

"Are you'd serious?! I couldn't even ask her about her day and you want me to ask her to dance?"

"Fine. Talk to her about your family then. You're gonna have to tell about how you feel about her sometime."

"I know, I know. I'll...just ease myself into it first." He assured.

"Alright. Just try and keep talking to her." I said before heading back to Tigress. I then took and seat. "Sorry for going and coming like this. I guess I'm not doing too good today."

"It's fine. Don't worry." Tigress assured.

"So, anyway. Did you know I'm practicing at free running?"

"I did not."

"I'm pretty good at it. But I do fall flat on my ass a few times." I admitted.

"It's quite simple to do once you get going."

"Of course it's simple for you. You're a feline, you're naturally agile. Humans, on the other hand, not so much."

"I could help you, if you want."

"But you're already helping me with a lot of other things. I don't want to take up all your time."

"Nonsense. I enjoy helping you. And besides, you do need the help." She teased.

"Very funny. You sure you're not a part-time comedian?"

"I'm certain." We continued to eat our meal and converse until, once again, Crane signalled me. I released an annoyed sigh.

"I'm really sorry about this, Tigress, but you'll have to excuse me again."

"Take your time." I then got up and headed for the garden and ducked behind it.

"What's up now?" I asked.

"Nothing really, how about you, Ben?" My eyes then widened as the voice that replied was Vipers.

"Um..."

"Um, indeed. Come out from there." She ordered. I then stood up and faced her. She had an annoyed expression and stared at me with scolding eyes.

"She thought something was up and she talked me into telling her the truth." Crane said.

"And what you two are doing, I'd like to know." Viper inclined.

"Viper, look, I was just trying to help Crane out. I swear." I explained.

"Help him out with what? What was he helping you with?" Viper asked Crane. Crane stuttered and looked like he was about to have an asthma attack.

"Crane, come on man. There's not going to be a bette time to say it."

"Say what to me?"

"I...I just-" Crane stumbled over his words.

"Come on, buddy you can do it."

"What do you want to tell me, Crane?" Viper pressed. Crane began to released shaky breaths.

"I...I.."

"Say it, man!" I encouraged.

"Say what?" Viper ordered. Crane then shot up.

"I LOVE YOU!" Crane shouted. The whole restaurant wen dead silent. Not a single word was said and the musicians and stopped playing as they all stared in our direction. Crane's face then lit up with embarrassment.

"Nothin to see, people! To back to your meals!" I announced. Everyone one returned to their meals and the musicians resumed playing. Viper then stared at Crane with widened eyes and her mouth open.

"Y-you...what?" She asked. Crane sighed and stared into her eyes.

"I...love you, Viper.." He whispered. Viper continued to stare and her face filled with disbelief. Crane then shook his head. "I'm sorry. Tonight was just a disaster. I shouldn't have been such a coward. I'm sorry Viper." He lowered his head. Viper then slowly slithered towards him, placed her tail on his face and lifted it.

"I love you too, Crane." She whispered back. Crane's eyes widened and his beak opened ajar.

"Y-you...do?" He questioned. Viper smiled and nodded. She then turned her gaze towards he dance floor where couples held each other close and danced slowly to the music. She then wrapped her tail around his wing.

"Come with me." She said leading him to the dance floor. When they reached it, Viper slithered up his body and wrapped herself around his torso. He slowly placed his wings around her as she rested her head against his cheek. They then both began to sway side to side slowly. Crane then raised his head and looked at me and smiled. I returned with one of my own and shot his a salute. I believe my work he was done. I headed back to my table and sat down.

"Sorry for taking so long, I was-"

"Helping Crane?" I then gulped.

"Um..."

"It's alright. I knew the whole time."

"You what? Really? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought it was rather enjoyable to watch you jump back and forth from our tables." She smiled taking a sip of wine.

"You have a sick sense of humour. But seriously, sorry for ditching every so often."

"You don't have to apologise. I understand. You were just helping a friend."

"Thanks, Ti. Now, lets have a good night, shall we?" I said raising my glass once more. She then tapped hers against mine and we both began to drink. We finally were able to eat our meal in peace. We talked and talked practically all night, until we finally finished our meal and drank all the wine. Tigress and myself then headed back to the Jade Palace. We then headed inside the barracks and stood outside our rooms, getting ready to call it a night.

"Thanks for a great night." Tigress said.

"No problem. I really enjoyed it."

" I did too." She then swayed slightly before regaining her balance. "You'll have to excuse me. I'm feeling a little light headed." I then laughed a little.

"That'll be the wine talking. I think you got too acquainted with that bottle." I joked.

"I'm fine. I jut need to rest my head."

"If you say so, lightweight. Maybe...we could...do this again another day?" She then smiled.

"I'd...like that, thank ."

"Night, Ti." She she stumbled into her room and closed her door behind her. I smiled and then noticed Mantis and Monkey enter the hallway. Mantis tore his bow tie off his neck and threw I on the ground. "Hey, guys. So, Mantis, you managed to woo any women?" He released a frustrated grunt.

"Not a single damn one! If you want to talk about picking up women, ask Mr Stud here!" He then entered his room and slammed his door.

"What did he mean, Mr Stud?" I asked Monkey. He then released a laugh and pointed to his cheek. The leaned in close and inspected it. I then smiled as I noticed lipstick on his cheek. "You sly dog."

"That's me. I guess it safe to say that it was a good day. Anyway, I'm going get some sleep. Night, Ben."

"Goodnight, buddy." He then headed inside his room and closed the door behind. I was now ready to get some sleep of my own, until more footsteps were heard. I turned and saw Crane and Viper enter the hallway. I then smiled as I saw Viper had wrapped herself Cranes neck and had snuggled into his neck.

"We have to do this again, soon." Viper spoke.

"Absolutely. I'd love to." Crane agreed. Crane then stopped in his tracks as he noticed me. Both Viper and Crane then shared a glance before they both blushed.

"Damn, you too look so cute together." I said.

"You know, I think we do." Viper said smiling at Crane. Crab then smiled back.

"Agreed." He said rubbing his cheek against hers. Viper then turned her gaze to me.

"Ben, I want to thank you for helping Crane. You're very sweet for doing that."

"Yeah, man. You really pulled me out of the gutter. We both wouldn't have gotten together like this if it wasn't for you." Crane added.

"Aw, it was nothing. I was just helping my friends." I said. Crane then approached me with Viper still around his neck and his put his wings around me while Viper put her tail around me.

"Thanks." They both said in unison.

"No problem, guys. You should all get some sleep now." I suggested as I broke the hug. They both nodded his agreement before they stared into each others eyes.

"This has been the most amazing night of my life, Crane." Viper said.

"Mine too. I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She whispered back. They both continued to stare into each others eyes until Viper slowly leaned her head forward and her eyes began to close. Crane mimicked her actions and soon the found their heads inches apart. Suddenly, Viper shot forward and pressed her lips against his beak and Crane wrapped his wings around her. I rubbed the back of my head and averted my gaze. I couldn't help but release a goofy smile before I looks back. They broke the kiss and pulled away slightly. Their cheeks lit up like fireworks and they begs to catch their breath.

"Goodnight, Crane." She said.

"Goodnight, Viper." She then lowered herself the ground and started to head to her room while still holding Crane. As she stepped inside her room, their grip on one another broke and Viper slowly closed her door. Crane then sighed happily as he stared at her door with a goofy smile and half opened eyes. I placed my hand on his shoulder.

"You did it, buddy. You really did it." I congratulated. Crane, however remained in his goofy state. I clicked my fingers in front of him, trying to catch his attention. "Hey, buddy? You okay?" Still, he remains motionless. I then scratched my head confused. But then, he slowly swayed back and forth before falling straight onto his back with his whole body remaining still. That's when I realised that he fainted. I laughed as I wrapped my arms under his wings, lifted him up and brought him to his room. I lowered him slowly to the ground and left him there like a sleeping baby. I closed his door and headed to my own room. I removed my vest and laid down onto my bed. Today was just insane. Dinner with Tigress,Crane and Viper getting together and poor little Mantis becoming Monkeys wingman. God, I love these guys. I shut my eyes and fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	25. Chapter 25

_Chapter 25: royal escort_

It was now the beginning of March and the month for love had come to an end. Well, almost. A little bit of still exists in the form of a bird and snake. Everyday,they both rush to one another and kiss, they cuddle, they snuggle, they just are perfect for one another. As you could imagine, when Mantis found out, he planned to tease them both as much as he could. Unfortunately for him, Crane and Viper were too caught up loving one another to take notice, much to Mantis's annoyance. I was expecting Master Shifu to be dismissive of their relationship, however, we merely shook his head and said that this is something he should not control and they should do as they wish, but they must not allow their affection for one another get in the way of their training. So all in all, it was a quiet enough few weeks. There wasn't many bandits who attacked and my training began to improve. Tigress kept her word and help me better myself in free running. I could now leap from one building to the other swiftly and quietly. And I'm now able to fall from greater heights and not even feel the impact when I hit the ground. Anyway, right now we were all in the training hall. While Tigress trained on the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion, (it has such an appealing name, I know) Mantis, Monkey and I stood idly around watching Crane and Viper snuggle by Jade Tortoise. Master Shifu had stepped out to speak with Master Oogway, so we decided to take a little break.

"You're cuter." Crane said.

"No, you're cuter." Viper said.

"No, you."

"No, you."

"My brain; it hurts." Mantis said holding his head.

"What brain?" Monkey asked. I then released a laugh.

"Very funny. Seriously though, how does a completely reserved and shy guy like Crane get a girl and a dashing, handsome guy like me doesn't?" Mantis asked.

"Dashing?" Monkey questioned.

"Handsome?" I added.

"Oh screw you, guys." Mantis pouted.

"Come on, buddy, you know we're only teasing." I assured.

"Yeah, yeah. And if I'm honest, I'm happy for them. They do look pretty good together." Mantis admitted. I raised my head and gazed back over to the two lovers. They were now rubbing their cheeks together and occasional kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, they do." I said smiling.

"I think Crane mentioned something about you being the one that got them together. Is that true?" Monkey asked.

"No. All I did really was help him build up a bit of confidents. He did the rest." I said.

"Well you certainly did good. Who you knew you were a Matchmaker for Kung Fu masters." Mantis joked.

"And who knew you were apparently dashing and handsome." I shot back. We stood for sometime before Mantis, of course, had to ask the question that only he would ask.

"I'm a little confused though. When their relationship gets more intimate, how are they...gonna...you know." Mantis inclined. I raised a brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well ones a bird the others a snake. How are they suppose to...you know."

"I'm not following." Monkey said scratching his head.

"Oh god, guys! Do I need to draw a picture for you? How are they gonna...get down and dirty?"

"Down and dirty?" Monkey questioned. I then caught on to what he was talking about.

"Oh, Jesus, Mantis! Please tell me you did not just ask that." I said covering my face.

"What?! Someone had to ask it. I'm sorry I was the one to do it." Mantis said defensively.

"NO ONE had to ask that. You just have a dirty mind." He then chucked.

"Yeah...I do." I just shook my head dismissively.

"Down and dirty?" Monkey questioned once more.

"Oh god!" I exclaimed. Mantis just burst out laughing. After his childish giggling session was over, we all returned to training. And after some time had past, Master and Shifu had returned to the hall.

"Students! To me at once." I be ordered. We rushed towards him and bowed with our fists in our palms.

"Yes, Master?" We all said in unison.

"I have received a letter from the Emperors cousin. He's requesting for us to assist him in transporting him to a docks in Shanghai. He will be arriving in an hour and I expect you how to treat him with the upmost respect. It will be our duty and honour to assist him. Do you all understand?" We all nodded. "Good. Now, resume your training for now. I will send for you when he arrives." He then turned and left the hall.

"Damn, the Emperors cousin wants our help." Mantis said.

"Oh, so you were listening. I was starting to worry." Viper joked. Crane, Monkey and I then released a chuckle.

"Shouldn't you be making out with your boyfriend?" Mantis asked.

"Don't be jealous, Mantis. I'm sure you'll find a man to make out with too someday." Viper retaliated. We then burst into laughter as Mantis put on an annoyed expression and just leapt away defeated. After the street battle between them two ended, we all continued to train and awaited for Master Shifu to send for us. It had been almost an hour until Shifu finally called for us. We all exited the Training hall and headed to the Hall of Warriors. We entered the hall and waited for the Emperors cousin. Frankly, I wasn't sure what to expect from this guy. Was he a generous, giving man or a guy who takes everything seriously? I hope I don't get on his bad side. I'd rather not get into feud with the royal family. I somehow suspect I'd lose. After waiting for a while, a antelope entered the hall. He wore basic robes and had a serious expression on his face. He stopped in his tracks, pulled out a scroll and cleared his throat.

"Introducing, his royal highness; Prince Chan." He announced. We all stood to attention as the doors to the hall opened fully and four more antelopes entered carrying what look like a throne of some kind. Then a few rhinos entered and they were all carrying a spear. I then look up the the seat of the throne and saw a young lion sitting down on it. He rested his head on one paw and seemed to have a bored expression plastered on his face. He wore long robes which the front of it seemed to stop just after his waist while the back continued to just above his feet. The robes themselves were a red and black colour similar to Tigress's vest, expect the colour was just a little bit brighter. They're seemed to be golden dragon pattern that ran down the front of the robes. One very notable thing about him was he didn't have a mane. Or didn't have a full one at least. It looked like it was still developing. Come to think of it, he looked rather short and very young as well. If I were to guess, I'd day he was no more than sixteen or seventeen. We all bowed at his presence.

"Your, highness. It is an honour-" Master Shifu began before being cut off.

"Yeah whatever, pops. Enough with the ass kissing." The prince spat. I could tell already this teen was going to be brash. Shifu cleared his throat.

"My apologises." Shifu said.

"Forget you apologises, how about one of you get me a snack. I'm fricking hungry." Prince Chan said. We all shared a glance and if to say 'is this guy for real.' He released a frustrated sigh. "Forget it. You're all probably useless anyway." He then leapt off his throne and onto the ground. "So why I'm I here again?" He asked.

"You send us a letter requesting our aid." Shifu reminded. The prince merely scratched his head.

"I did? I don't remember that." He said confused.

"That's because you ask me to do it, your highness." One of the rhino soldiers said.

"When I did ask you that?" The prince asked the soldier. The solder then sighed.

"Two days ago after we were attacked. We complained about not having enough people protecting you so you asked for the assistance of the Jade Palace." The soldier said.

"Oh yeah, now I remember." The prince said recollecting.

"We will be honoured to assist you, your majesty." Shifu said.

"You should be. It's not like you have any choice in the matter anyway." The prince said. God this kids attitude is just becoming unbearable.

"Your help will be appreciated, I assure you." The soldier said.

"Alright, enough of this crap, you idiots still have a job to do." The prince spat. The soldier bowed.

"Of course. Sorry, your majesty." He apologised.

"Let's hurry this up please. I'd actually like to get the Shanghai on time." The prince said getting back onto his throne.

"Right. So, Master Shifu, are your students ready?"

"They are at your command." Shifu assured.

"Excellent. So here's what's gonna happen. We are going the protect the prince at al cost. We have to keep an eye on him at all times. We are obligated to serve the prince and abide by his every wish. Do you all understand?" The soldier asked. We all nodded. "Good. Now, there's no need to bring anything. We have plenty of supplies to go around during this trip. I believe that's all there needs to be said. We should get moving."

"About damn time." The prince grumbled.

"Alright, let's move out." The soldier ordered. The guys and I then followed the princes throne and began to walked behind it as we descended down the steps from the Jade Palace and passed through through the Valley. As we walked for sometime, A conversation started up between the six of us.

"So he's...not a very nice of a prince." Viper said.

"That's an understatement. The guys an ass." Mantis said bluntly.

"Mantis!" Viper scolded.

"I have to agree with him, Viper. It does have a bit of an attitude." I admitted.

"Granted, he does seem a bit brash, but he's still a prince. And you both should treat him with a bit of respect...even if he doesn't deserve it." Viper said.

"I suppose. I just hope he doesn't have me beheaded." I joked.

"I need someone to fan me off." The prince said. He craned his neck and set his eyes upon us. He then pointed a finger at me. "You, the tall guy with the beard! Here; now!" He ordered. I reluctantly caught up with his mobile throne and began walking beside him.

"Yes, your majesty?" I bowed.

"I want you to fan me off. It's getting hot and I refuse to start sweating. So, get to it." He commanded. I then raised a brow.

"What exactly I'm I suppose to fan you with?" He released an annoyed growl.

"Are you telling me you didn't you bring one?!"

"Why would I?"

"Are you smart talking me?"

"What? No, I'm just-"

"Silence!" He roared. "Another word on of you and I'll have you beheaded where you stand!" Despite how threatening he tried to sound, I remained unfazed. I've faced danger again and again, and faced death many times. So as you could imagine, a threat from a teenager wasn't exactly intimidating. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I have nothing to fan you off with. Maybe I could help you some other way?" I inclined. He then grunted.

"Useless. Fine, make yourself useful and fetch me an apple from our supply bag." He said. I nodded and walked faster to catch up with his rhino soldiers who were carrying sacks of supplies.

"Excuse me. I was wondering if I could get an apple for the prince." I said politely.

"Of course. Here." The rhino spoke handing me his bag. I opened it and peeked inside. There was various fruits and jug which I assumed contained liquid such as water or wine. I dug through the bag until I found an apple. I took I out and handed the bag back to the rhino. I then slowed down and began walking the same pace as the prince. I held out my hand which had the apple in it.

"Here you go." I smiled. He snatched it from my hand and sunk his teeth into it. He released a satisfied moan and he chew and looked pleased. Until he spat it out onto my face.

"This doesn't taste right. Fetch me another one." He ordered. I reached up to my face with one hand and slowly dragged the bits of apple off it. I growled silently.

"Was that really necessary?" I asked.

"What? You cleaned yourself off didn't you? Now fetch me another one!" He yelled. I cursed under my breath and did as he asked. I have him another apple and he bit into it and chewed. And then he spat it out once more onto my face. "I'm not hungry anymore." He said before leaning back onto his paw. I cleaned my face again and was starting to get annoyed with this kids behaviour.

"I had expected you to be a bit more respectable to the people protecting your ass." I said.

"I'll treat you however I want to treat you. If you got a problem with that, you can take it up with the headsman's axe." He threatened. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

"My apologises. I'll stay quiet." I said.

"You're damn right you will. Now, get lost. Go back to your fellow Kung fu losers." He ordered. Even though he got that sentence out rudely, I was actually relieved that I didn't have to put up with one more minute of this little brat. I fell back and began walking alongside my friends.

"Ben, you okay buddy?" Mantis asked.

"Just peachy." I said with an angered expression.

"Just try and stay calm. I think he's finished with you anyway." Crane assured. I sighed.

"God I hope so. But he if he asks me to rubbed his feet, I swear to god, I'm gonna set that little chair of his on fire." I said.

"I got your back, buddy. All you got to do his distract him and get him off that chair. I'll get the matches and do the rest." Mantis joked. I then released a chuckle, feeling a little be better.

"There will be no conspiring to set his throne on fire." Vipers said.

"You! The snake! Get your ugly, scaly ass over here!" The prince ordered. Viper then put on an angered expression.

"Mantis; get your matches." She hissed while approaching the prince. Crane released a low growl and looked like he was ready to pounce. I placed my hand on his shoulder and calmed him down.

"Easy, buddy. Don't do anything rash." I said. He took a deep breath.

"God that guy is just...just...an ass!" He exclaimed.

"I know, Crane. But we gotta just keep cool and get this job done. The sooner we escort this guy, the faster we get back to the Jade Palace." He sighed.

"You're right. Thanks, Ben." He smiled.

"No problem, man." As we finished our conversation, Viper and began to return to our side.

"What an ass." He uttered and she slithered besides us. "Monkey, he wants to ruin your life now." She said.

"Aw, crap." Monkey said, before he reluctantly started to head to the prince. And one by one he called us over and demanded that we basically do stupid shit for him and when we did it, he insulted us. Everyone of us he spoke to, he was determined to be as rude as possible. I was seriously about to snap. Disrespecting me and mocking me is one thing, but doing the same to my friends was really starting to piss me off. He was lucky that we were all calming each other down, otherwise I'd really give him a piece of my mind. It was now getting late and we all stopped to rest for the night in a small town. Nothing really notable to mentioned. It was just a very basic town. A few tall buildings, various, etc. we arrived at an inn of some kind and we all stepped inside. At the sight of the prince, everyone inside bowed in respect. We headed to the inn keeper to request some rooms. And guess who didn't like the idea of sleeping in building filled with 'peasants?' No, I'm serious, guess! I bet you'll never know who it was. What's that? Why yes! It was his royal assness!

"You expect me to sleep here?! Have you all lost your idiotic minds?!" He questioned angrily.

"Your majesty, it's getting late and it's dangerous to travel at night. I'm sorry, but this is the best we can do." One of the rhino soldiers said.

"Unbelievable! Fine. But I expect a room with the most comfortable bed." He ordered.

"Yes, your majesty." The soldier bowed. He then ordered and room for the prince, his fellow rhino soldiers, the antelopes who carried the prince, the guys and myself. Even though the sun had set, it wasn't reasonably late. So we all went to a little bar that was inside the inn. It was large and held many people. The air filled with the sound of conversation amongst friends and the sound of glasses being tapped together could be heard. We, however, we prohibited from sitting by the bar and were instead ordered to sit with the prince in a private area where we wouldn't be disturbed. The prince, the guys and myself sat by a table where we could only faintly hear the noises coming from the bar.

"I'm thirsty. Hey, beardy, get me some wine." The prince ordered. Guess who earned such a respectable nickname? Why me of course.

"Fine." I sighed. I got from my chair and headed for the bar. When I reached the bar, I signalled for the bartenders attention. He then turned to me while he was finishing up washing out a glass.

"Yes, sir, what can I get you?" He asked.

"A bottle of wine, please." I requested.

"A whole bottle? Don't you think that's a bit too much for you?"

"It's not for me. It's for the prince."

"The prince?! Oh we'll then, I shall fetch a bottle for you immediately." He then rushed to a back room before returning me a sealed bottle of wine.

"Thanks, just put it on the princes tab." I said before taking the bottle. I then started to head back to his royal-pain in the ass-Chan. I arrived at the table and set the bottle down. I sat back down and leaned back on the chair. I then noticed the prince staring at me with his arms crossed. I shrugged. "What?"

"Uncork the bottle, idiot." He spat. I released a frustrated sigh before taking the bottle into my hands and tearing the top off and then setting it back down onto the table.

"Happy?"

"No. Now pour me a glass." He said pushing an empty glass forward.

"I'm sorry, do you need me to wipe your ass too?" I asked angrily. I noticed Monkey and Mantis trying to suppress and chuckle as the prince glared at me.

"You watch what you say to me. I'll have your head rolling on the ground in seconds if your not careful. I'll pour myself a glass." He then took the bottle and poured himself a glass. I took a big sip and began to push the liquid from one cheek to the other. He then spat it onto my face. "This taste like crap. Get me another." He ordered. I felt rage build up inside me as I wipe away the wine from my face. I slowly stood up before snatching the bottle off the table. I tried my best to suppress my anger.

"Fine. Please don't die of dehydration while I'm gone. That would break my goddamn heart." I hissed through gritted teeth. I marched outside the room and headed for the bar. Holy sweet Mary mother of god, I was very close to being pushed over the line. If this little brat doesn't stop these obnoxious actions, god I don't know what I might do! I never liked getting mad and even until today I haven't really shown my angry side. And I don't intend to. I reached the bar and set the bottle down. The bartender saw the bottle and looked at me.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked.

"The prince would like another bottle. Apparently this one doesn't taste right to him." I explained.

"I'm terribly sorry. I'll get another right away." He apologised. He rushed to the back room and returned with another bottle. "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you." I then took the bottle and was about to return to the walking ass, but I then realised just how frustrated I was. I set the bottle back down onto the bar. "Actually, I was wondering of I could have a glass of whiskey too."

"Of course." He said. He took a bottle of whiskey and was reaching for a small glass.

"A large one, please." I said. He then nodded and took a large glass. He filled it halfway and passed it to me. "Keep it coming." He then continued to fill the glass until he nearly reached the rim of the glass.

"Enjoy your drink, sir."

"Thanks." I took the glass and took a large sip. I released a sigh of relief as the liquid ran down my throat. Oh god that feels good. I really needed this. I continued to drink and drink until a headed someone approach. I turned to see Tigress standing behind me.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Hopefully getting pissed." I replied while drinking.

"The prince is still waiting for his drink. And you getting drunk isn't gonna help." I sighed.

"I know, I know. It's just...he's really getting on my goddamn nerves. Ti, if I go back there, I'm gonna snap."

"I know how you feel. He's getting on everyone's nerves. But you're strong. All you have to do is hold out for one more day and we're done with him."

"I don't if I can. His behaviour is gonna cause me to get angry. And I don't want to shout and yell at him. Even though he does deserve. I just...I" I then felt Tigress place a paw on my shoulder.

"Just hang in there and stay strong. You have your friends by your side. And we're here for you." She assured. I gazed over my shoulder and looked at her. I then smiled and placed my glass of whiskey back onto the bar and picked up the bottle of wine.

"Thanks, Ti. Lets go give him his wine." I said. I then headed back to the prince with Tigress following behind me. When we arrived, the prince was tapping on the table impatiently with his fingers. He stopped as he saw me arrive back at the table.

"About damn time! Tell me beardy, how does it feel to be so content with being useless all time?" He asked. I merely ignored him and placed the bottle on the table and sat down. He then snapped his fingers in front of my face. "Hey! I asked you a question!" I sighed and tried to remain calm.

"I don't know." I finally replied.

"You don't know why you're useless? Are you stupid or something?"

"No, I-"

"Did your mother drop you on your head when you were an infant? Or did you stupidity only begin when you started fighting along side these idiots?" He asked waving his paw over the guys. My friends. I began to feel angry and my fingers curled up into fists.

"Please don't talk to my friends like that..." I said with my nostrils flaring.

"I'll talk to them and you however I want to! If you have a problem with that, I'll have your ass beheaded!" I tried my best to remain calm but he was now really starting to push my buttons.

"I know, you've said that before."

"Then why must I keep reminding you! I give you simple tasks and you fail to carry them out. I ask you simple questions and you respond with idiotic answers!" I then felt my fists shake.

"I just-"

"And you lot are no better!" He roared at my friends. "Kung fu masters? More like a bunch of morons!" Right there, is where I finally drew the line. I rose from my seat quickly and smashed my fists down onto the table.

"That's it! I've had enough of your shit!" I yelled. While I breathed heavily and displayed my teeth, the guys and the prince all seemed a little taken back by my outburst. "All day you've done nothing but bitch and moan about everything. You've insulted me and my friends and have shown no respect for us. You're a spoilt brat, nobody likes you and I swear to god, if you dare insult my friends again, I'll punch you so hard into the groin, it'll fire back into your stomach and form a uterus!" I roared right into his face. He leaned back frightened and tried to speak.

"Y-you can't speak to m-me like that. I can have y-you beheaded.." He stuttered.

"Beheading! That's all you got! Behead you, behead him, behead her." I then grabbed my crotch and gave it a tug. "Behead this!" His ears flattened against his head and he shut his eyes. He rose from his chair and slowly dragged himself out of the room. I sighed before I left as well. I couldn't be around my friends seeing how ashamed and embarrassed I was for releasing my anger. I quickly headed upstairs in the inn and searched for my room. I pulled out my key and the number '11' was written onto it. I then headed down the hall and arrive at my room. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was very basic for a bedroom. Single bed with a blanket and pillow. I lantern, a cupboard and a room I assume was a bathroom. There was also a window by the bed, to which the moonlight shun passed the window and into the room. I closed my door behind me and sat down on the bed. I buried my face into my hands and sighed. I can't believe that just happened. I yelled at that kid. I know he might of deserved it, but seeing his reaction, I just felt guilty. I sat there for some time until a knock came to my door.

"Come in.." I uttered. The door opened and I sighed as I saw Tigress standing there.

"Hey." She greeted. I averted my gaze.

"Hey..."

"That was quite a...display of anger." I remained quiet, too ashamed to speak. She the. Approached the bed and took a seat next to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I made a complete fool of myself in front of my friends and shouted at the top of my lungs at a prince. So as you could imagine I'm doing great." I said sarcastically. I then sighed. "I'm sorry, Ti. You told me to be strong and I wasn't."

"You may have be rash, but you had your reasons. In a way, you were being strong." I turned my gaze to her confused.

"How?"

"You stood up to the prince despite his threats because you stood up for your friends. And you should me today that you care for us. And, honestly, I'm rather glad someone finally told him off." Her words ran through my mind for a while before I smiled.

"Thanks, Ti. I'm glad you were here." She then released a smile of her own before it disappeared when she heard someone by the doorway. She stood up as the rest of them had entered room. Mantis then chuckled as he came into the room on Monkeys shoulder.

"Whoa oh, watch for Ben the badass!" He joked.

"Mantis..." Viper scolded. Mantis then cleared his throat and scratched his head.

"Sorry..."

"I'm not proud for what I've done. I took it too far. I'm sorry, guys." I lowered my head.

"Hey, you don't need to apologise to us. Someone had to tell that kid off. We're just surprised it was you." Crane said.

"Yeah. I mean, we've seen you a little annoyed at times and rarely mad. So seeing so angry was a actually a shock." Mantis said.

"He just pushed me over the line. I couldn't let someone talk to my friends like that. I don't care how high his status is."

"You were just looking out for your friends. We appreciate that. But I still think you owe him an apology." Viper said.

"Yeah, your right. Where is he now?"

"We're not sure. He could be downstairs or in his room." I got up.

"Alright, I'll go look for him. I'll see you guys." I said before leaving my room and began searching for the prince.


	26. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26: the problem with crocs_

I searched various rooms for the prince and courant find him. I then continued my search throughout the inn and came out with the same result. Where could he be? It wasn't inside the inn that's for sure, so where was he? I stepped outside into the night and looked around. The streets were pretty deserted and were lit up with lanterns that hung from people's houses. As I looked left and right I saw two of Chan's rhino soldiers standing guard outside.

"Hey, guys. I don't suppose you've seen prince anywhere?" I asked.

"Yes, he went for a walk. Accompanied with two soldiers. I believe he went down that street no more than ten minuets ago." The guard on the right said while pointing down a street.

"Thanks." I said before I headed down the street. I looked up and down alleys and took different turns that lead to a different streets. He could be anywhere by now. Maybe I should just wait till morning to apologise. No. I need to get this done now. I pressed on and continued to search and search until I began heading down a street and heard what sounded like someone calling for help. I picked up the pace and sprinted down the street before turning the corner. I stopped in my tracks as I saw a rhino solider get thrown in my direction. I quickly turned my gaze to the direction of where he was thrown to see a massive crocodile who was standing in the middle of the street while he fended of another rhino shoulder. He wore a spike-studded tunic and black was...so fricking huge! I'm serious, it's like a skyscraper sprouted legs and arms. I then something move behind him and I looked around him only to see six more crocodiles except these ones were much smaller than the bigger one. They all seemed to wear the same article of clothing aside for one which had a classic Chinese helmet on his head. They all seemed to be, what looked like, putting a bag over someone's head. Wait a second! They have the prince!

"Hey!" I shouted catching their attention. They turned and noticed me.

"Ah crap! Quick you guys, get him into the bag!" The one with the helmet ordered.

"Be careful, Fung! You might hurt him." The skinny croc said.

"Darn it, Gahri, just do it!" The one with the helmet exclaimed. I began to rush towards them but was stopped when the large croc had sent the rhino flying in my direction. I leapt out of the way as the soldier flew past me. I rushed to his side.

"Get back to the inn and get the rest of the princes soldiers and the furious five!" I ordered. He got back to his feet before nodding and began sprinting back to the inn along with the other rhino. I then turned back to towards to crocs. "Alright, you idiots, let him go now and I don't break your noses." I spat. They merely laughed.

"Are you like, serious, guy? Do you of even see how big he his?" The croc known as Fung pointed to the massive croc. "He's gonna crush you!" I then cracked my knuckles.

"I won't ask again." I threatened.

"Whatever! Lidong, get rid of this guy!" Fung ordered as he lifted the prince over his shoulder and took off with his comrades. The large croc then stomped onto the ground with his large feet, slowly approaching me.

"This will be...much fun..." He spoke in a very deep and slow voice.

"Come get some, big fella." I said taking up a defensive position. You released a roar as he rushed towards me. He swung his fist in attempts to hit me. Fortunately, his large stature caused to preform actions much slower, allowing to dodge with ease. As he swung for me, I sidestepped and caused his to strike to ground. I then threw hard punches but didn't seem to inflict any damage. He then swung his other hand and I dodged again. This time, while his fist was planted into the ground, I began to climb his arm. The continued to climb until I found myself wrapped around his neck. He began to flail wildly in attempt to shake me off. This, however, proved difficult for him, as I latched onto him. While I had one arm around his neck, I began to punch him into the back of the head repeatedly until it finally seemed I was causing him a bit of pain.

"Ow! It..hurt!" He cried out.

"You think that hurt, wait till you feel...THIS!" I shouted as I leapt up and kicked the back of his head hard, causing me to propel back onto the ground. He stumbled forward and recovered from the impact. He turned to em and growled.

"I will...crush you!" He rushed forward and his arms raised and he released a battle cry. I ran forward towards him and leapt into the air. I then spun in a three sixty turn and planted a kick into his face, causing his to crash to the ground. He slid across the ground and landed onto his back. I approached him and cautiously looked over him. His eyes were shut and he appeared to be out cold. I then smirked.

"The bigger they are-" before I could finish the pun, I felt short of air as his arm sprang up and latched itself around my throat. I began to kick and punch his arm while my lungs beg for air. His eyes shit opened and a smile crept onto his face. He then released a wicked laugh as hi got to his feet and hovered me in the air. I began to wheeze and my vision began to fade.

"Now...you...crush!" He said while squeezing tighter. I could now feel my heart rate coming slower and slower, until...a foot landed itself into the crocs face. His grasp around me was broken and I fell to the ground and was left coughing. I raised my head and saw the croc plummeting to the ground once again. And standing into front of me was Tigress, who had a defensive pose up. She turned to me and rushed to my side.

"Are your alright?" She asked as she grabbed my arm and began to help me to my feet.

"He was...about to...kill me. If you hadn't...thank you, Ti." I wheezed. She smiled and nodded. I then noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I turned only to see the croc rush towards us. "Look out!" I shouted as I shoved Tigress out of the way and I jumped back to avoid the crocs advance. He rushed straight past us and tried to stop but was unable to and went straight into the rest of the guys, who were behind us. Crane flew up with Viper on his back and descended fast and they both delivered powerful attacks. Monkey leapt up and began to attack the croc with Mantis by his side. Tigress and I then rushed in to assist them. Together, we were unstoppable against this guy. Overwhelmed with attacks, he eventually found himself on his back once more. I approached him and leaned over him.

"Ow...it hurt...a lot." He whimpered.

"And if you don't tell us where the rest of the crocs took the prince, I'm gonna break your nose." I said raising a fist.

"Out of town...house in field." He said.

"Good, boy." I said. I then heard footsteps behind me and turned to see who was approaching, only to see the princes soldiers. "Arrest this guy. We're going after the prince." I said. The rhinos then surrounded the giant croc as we started heading for this so called house in the field. As we began to walk, I craned my neck, causing it to release a cracking noise. I rubbed it and hissed slightly.

"You alright, buddy?" Mantis asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry." I assured.

"Can't believe Lidong was here." Crane spoke.

"You know who he is?" I asked. He nodded.

"He's a cousin to another crocodile called Fung. Fung leads a gang of crocs who we haven't seen for almost a year. Guess they must have just gotten out of prison." Crane said.

"So they just get out prison and they're first bright idea is to kidnap a prince. Morons." Mantis said.

"And they must have followed us all the way here. So where would they bring the prince?" Monkey asked.

"I would guess that they're in Fung's mothers house. She lives up here." Viper said.

"How do you know that?" Mantis asked.

"Because we had to deal with Fung and his gang before up here. And where were you again? Of yes, on a date with a ladybird."

"Hey! I was certain I was gonna impress her and hopefully we would hang out more." Mantis said.

"You were with her for five minutes and apparently your charming line was 'hey, baby, I know my statue is small but guess what's big about me?'" Viper said doing an impression of Mantis. I couldn't help but release a chuckle.

"But I got a response." Mantis noted.

"I don't call getting kicked into the loins a response." Crane said.

"And a free drink." Mantis added.

"Oh yeah, a kick in the nuts and a glass of wine in the face." Monkey said.

"Always keep your mouth open when insulting a lady." Mantis advised.

"Enough of this chatting. Lets get the prince back already." Viper said. We then approached a field and saw various houses in the distance. Viper lead us to a house in the middle of the field. She knocked on the door and we waited for a response. After a while, the doorknob turned and it opened the door, revealing a female crocodile. She was wearing a pink apron and was wearing faded lipstick. Other than she just looked like a crocodile.

"Yes?" She asked in a hoarse tone.

"Hello, ma'am. We were wondering if your son was here." Viper inclined.

"Oh, of course! He's downstairs in the basement playing with his friends. To go on through." She replied as she stepped aside allowing us to enter the house.

"Thank you." Viper said.

"You're welcome, deary. Now please, play nice." She said.

"Don't worry, we will." Mantis joked. We then dwelled into the house. We then came across a door that was left opened, revealing stairs leading down to what I presume was the basement. We crept down trying our best not to make a sound. We reached the bottom of the stairs and found ourselves in large basement. There was shelves with tools and old junk stacked on top of it while old furniture was pressed against the wall collecting dust and providing spiders with homes. At the far end of he room, stood the croc bandits. They were all facing the prince who was strapped into a chair.

"You're gonna get us a lot of money." Fung said.

"You'll get nothing from me." The prince said spitting on his face.

"Ewww! Like, seriously, did you really need to do that! That's so gross!" Fung exclaimed trying to wipe the saliva off his face. The skinny one, who I think was called Gahri, rushed to Fung's side with a cloth.

"Here you go." He said wiping his face. Fung then snatched the cloth from his grasp.

"I can do it myself. Geez." He then began wiping his face furiously before tossing the cloth aside. The prince then spat on his face again. "Are serious! I just-cleaned-gah!" He shouted before grabbing the cloth again and began to clean himself.

"If you think that's bad, wait till you see what we do to you." I said catching their attention.

"Oh, crap. This is what it looks like. We were just, like...playing a game! Yeah, a game. Right guys?" Fung asked. The crocs then nodded quickly in response.

"I thought we was napping him for money." The croc with walled eyes said with a goofy tone.

"Did you just-I don't even-" Fung then grabbed his helmet and threw it to the ground. "Darn it! Now we're gonna get our ass kicked!"

"Too damn right you are. So, you ready for your beat down, sunshine?" Mantis asked. The crocs all then armed themselves and faced us.

"We're gonna chop you up into little pieces!" Fung threatened. But before any of us began to fight, a voice came from the too of the stairs.

"Fung!" Came his mothers voice. Fung then released an annoyed growled.

"What, mom?!" He asked angrily.

"Do you and your little friends want some cookies?"

"No, mom! We're trying to, like, fight and stuff!"

"Are you sure?"

"I said no!"

"Don't you raise your voice to me, young man!" She scolded. Fung lowered his head shamefully.

"Sorry..."

"That's okay. I forgive you"

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart." The door to the basement then closed.

"Can we fight now?" Monkey asked.

"Oh yeah. Um...charge!" Fung ordered as he and his friends rushed towards us. We all took a croc each and began to fight them. They swung their weapons wildly but we just dodged them and punched their faces. We switched opponents until I came face to face with the wall-eyed one. He merely stood there with a blank expression. I clicked my fingers in front of him and got no response. I then got a little curious.

"Do you know someone called Derpy?" I asked. He said nothing except blink one eye after they other. "Guess not." I then placed a finger on his head and gave him a slight shove which caused him to fall slowly onto his back. Okay...that was a strange moment. After a short time, they rest of the crocs had been taken care of. They all groaned and they held their body in pain. I stepped over Fung and headed over to the prince. I walked around chair and undid his bindings. "Are you alright?" I asked. He gave no verbal response and merely averted his gaze. I sighed and gazed up to my friends, hinting that I would like to have a word with him.

"Come on, guys lets get these bums outside." Viper said. They took an croc each and dragged them upstairs, leaving me and the prince alone. I grabbed a nearby chair and sat beside him. "Listen, I'm...sorry for what I said to you back at the-" he cut me off as he raised his paw.

"I'm the one who should be apologising. I treated you and your friends poorly and I'm ashamed for doing so. I'm just so...stressed out sometimes, what with all the responsibilities I've been given and being told everyday what's suppose to be expected of me. It's just...so hard to cope with and I get a angry. And going through puberty isn't exactly helpful either. I guess all it took was someone shouting at me for was to realise what kind of a prince I was becoming." He then turned to me with a frown. "I'm sorry." I patted him on the shoulder gently.

"It's alright. I guess with both said some things we regret. Maybe now we can put this feud of ours behind us and start over?" I proposed. He smiled.

"I'd like that."

"Me too." He then curled his fingers and made a fist. He held it out in front of him.

"Come on, bump it." He said. I smiled and made a fist of my own before bumping it against his.

"We're now bros." he declared.

"Bros? Yeah, sure. Now come on, we got to get you back to the inn. We should rest up for the night." I said standing up. "Let's go, your majesty."

"You don't need to call me 'your majesty.' Just call me Chan."

"Alright. Lets to, Chan." I said leading him out of the basement and house. We took Fung and his gang back with us and brought them to the towns guards barracks where they were thrown in a cell with Lidong. We then headed back to the inn to call it a night. After it had became morning, the pain a got yesterday began to die down a little, making my trip to Shanghai a lot easier. We travelled for hours and I conversed with Chan on the way there. We talked about royal life and the perks that come with it, I talked about the Jade Palace and how I met my friends. Let me tell you, to me, this guys was nothing but an annoying brat and whines and moans about everything. I practically hated this teen yesterday. But after talking it out, we became...heh, bros. I'm glad my opinion of him changed. It was certainly a much nicer teen now. And I hope the best for him. We were now at the docks in Shanghai and Chan was getting ready to depart for Japan.

"It has certainly been a crazy two days, hasn't it?" Chan asked.

"It sure was. I'm glad we worked things out. You're a good kid. And I hope everything works out for you." I replied. He smiled.

"Thank you." He then held out his fist requesting for another brofist.

"You're gonna say goodbye with a brofist? Not on my watch." I then shoved his fist aside before pulling him into a hugged. I sensed he was rather uncomfortable at first until he slowly hugged back.

"Goodbye, my friend." He said breaking the hug.

"You too, kid. You too." He climbed the platform which lead onto a ship. The board was then removed and the ship began to sail for the sea. Chan flashed me one last smile before dwelling into the ships bowels.

"Well, that was was a successful escort." Mantis said.

"Yep. I guess our job here is done." I said.

"Can't wait to get back to the Valley. I have a lady friend waiting there for me." Mantis said.

"That lady friend wouldn't happen to be a female mantis, would it?" Monkey asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I forgot to tell you that she asked me to tell you that she's moving to Hong Kong." Mantis's face then filled with sorrow.

"W-what?"

"Sorry buddy."

"What a cruel world! We were meant to be!" Mantis exclaimed.

"God, here we go..." Crane shook his head.

"Do you even remember her name?" Viper asked. Mantis then paused for moment before speaking.

"Should I have known it?" He asked cocking his head.

"And he wonders why he can't get women." Viper said. This was certainly gonna be a good conversation to listen to on the way back to the Jade Palace.


	27. Chapter 27

_Chapter 27: the times come_

I have been continuing my training to the best of my abilities and it was now nearing the middle of March. Ever since Chan departed for Japan, nothing too interesting has happened. We did have a few bandits invade the Valley, but nothing me and the guys couldn't handle. I don't want to come off as me boasting or anything, but I believe my reputation was increasing. I was now a well known hero around China. Although I don't believe I was as popular as the guys just yet. But I still hope to be one day. It was Sunday and I had just paid a friendly visit to Kai and Jian and I was now heading to Ling's house. I don't know of I had mentioned before but I was also now friends Irish, Kai and Jian. I paid each of them a visit when I could just how to see how they're doing. I headed through the Valleys streets and giving an occasional hello to people I came across. I stood outside Ling's shop and saw a sign on the door that said 'closed.' I gently knocked on the door and waited for a response. After a moment of silence, I knocked again.

"I'm sorry, the shops closed." Came a voice within. I smiled.

"Even to a close friend?" I asked. I then heard footsteps quicken towards the door. The sound of locks opening could be heard until the door opened revealing my smiling leopard friend.

"Ben! It's so good to see you!" She chimed has embraced me. I laughed and hugged her back.

"You too, Ling. I came by to say hello." She broke the hug and smiled.

"Well do come in. I'll make you some tea." She said.

"That's sounds lovely. Thanks, Ling." I said as she lead me inside. As I stepped inside the shop, it was was quiet and peaceful. One noticeable difference about he shop is her inventory had increased. Her clothing has gained quite a commendations from people inside the Valley and outside it too. She was making a good bit of a living her and I'm happy for her.

"Just take a seat. I'll bring you a cup of tea in a minute." Ling said.

"Alright then." I said as I took a seat.

"Be right back!" She then headed upstairs to her home and left me alone. I looked around the room, admiring her work. She was an incredible tailor. Who I'm I kidding, she was the best! She could make you a pair of wool gloves in seconds. One of my favourite articles of clothing she made was my vest. I loved this thing. It was warm, cozy and made me look like I belonged in the Assassins creed saga. I got up from the seat and decided to look around. I searched through various articles of clothing and admired the style and colour. As I continued down the aisles of clothing, I stopped in front of the counter and noticed something I hadn't when I first entered. Resting on the counter near the back of the shop, there seemed to be a black pork pie hat. I found this rather strange co considering that these particular type of hat isn't exactly a hat you'd see in China. I picked it up and examined it. It was in great condition and was made with care. Did Ling make this? It wouldn't really surprise me. She's constantly trying to create new types of clothing and some are just magnificent. I walked over to a large mirror and stared at my reflection. I smirked as I put it onto my head. I then gazed at the mirror with a threatening expression.

"I am the one who knocks." I growled.

"You do what?" I heard Ling's voice asked. I jumped slightly and snatched the hat off my head.

"O-h u-uh, nothing." I stuttered. I turned and saw her descending from the stairs with two cups of tea in each paw. She then smirked playfully.

"Playing a little dress up, are we?" She giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"No I was not. I was just...trying it on. Not sure it really suits me though." I said twirling the hat in my hands.

"I suppose not. But I never figured you for a hat guy anyway." She said. I placed the hat back down onto the counter and Ling handed me a cup of tea.

"Yeah, I guess. Where did you get that hat anyway?" I asked as we both sat down.

"It's a strange little tale. An old man came in two days ago wearing it. He just kinda wandered around the shop until I asked if he needed anything. He approached the counter and laid his hat down on the counter. He met my gaze and just said "I have to cook" and just left. It was very strange." She said sipping her tea. I raised a brow confused. I have to cook? Could that be mean...no that's not possible...right? I shook my head I tried not to think too much about it.

"That's a pretty strange tale. So tell me, anything new with you?" I asked. She then averted her gaze with a sheepish smile.

"Well...I.." She mumbled.

"What? What is it?" She then turned to me with her cheeks lit up.

"I...met someone.."

"Met someone? Oh! You mean you MET someone." I said finally realising what she meant. She nodded. "That's great, Ling! I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you. You're support with my sexual preference has meant a great deal to me. I don't believe I would have ever had the confidents to meet someone and not give a damn about what people might say. You have been a great friend to me and I'm glad you're in my life." Ling smiled. I truly felt touched by her words.

"I'm glad you're in my life too, Ling." I said. I sat my cup down on a table and embraced my friend once. She was taken by surprise and chuckled in response. She set her own cup down and hugged me back. Neither own of us said a word and just continued to savour the hug. After a while, I heard a strange sound and the feeling of something vibrating against. "Ling, are you...purring?" I asked pulling away while still having my arms around her. I met her gaze and she was blushing while smiling.

"I believe I am. Us felines usually purr as a sign of affection towards people we care about. I guess you have become someone I care about."

"I care about you too, Ling. I care for all my friends. And I'll do anything for you guys."

"And that's what makes you a a great person. It's strange, first time I met you, you seemed reserved and shy. But look at you now. A man who people view as a hero and someone to look up to. You care for your friends and would do anything to protect them. You, mister Ben, are one of a kind." She said poking my chest. I couldn't help but smile at her words.

"I couldn't have become to man I am today without the help of all my friends. That includes you." I grabbed my cup of tea and raised it. "To a promising future." I declared. She giggled and raised her cup.

"To a promising future." She tapped her cup against mine. We continued to talk about what happened in the last weeks. I told her about Lydia and her father and about Chan. She told me about how she met her special friend who's name was Chi Chi. And Ling said she would like to to introduce her to me sometime. After chatting for what seemed like hours, I decided it was time to leave. I stood outside Ling's shop while she stood his the doorway. I saw the sun was beginning to set as I stood there with Ling.

"It was nice spending time with you, Ling. I had a good time." I said.

"It certainly was enjoyable. I'll see you another time, my friend." I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She giggled and hugged me back.

"I'll see you later, Ling." I said breaking the hug. She placed a friendly kiss on my cheek.

"Bye, Ben." She waved as she closed her door. I then turned and started heading back to the Jade Palace. I was feeling up for a game of checkers and I was certain I could beat Tigress today. I just knew I could. And if a don't, I'll make it my life goal to do so. I climbed the top of the stairs to the Palace and began heading for the training hall, figuring I'd find Tigress there. I stepped inside the hall and found it deserted. I dwelled further within and nothing but the sound of my footsteps against the creaking wooden floor could be heard. I scratched my head confused. I was certain I would find her here. I guess she might be be meditating in her room. I merely shrugged and turned to exit the hall. But I stopped in my tracks as I heard a sound from above me. I then curled my fingers and made fists. I spun quickly with my defence up as I saw Tigress leap from the ceiling and was heading straight for me. I rolled out of the way and she landed onto the ground in front of me. She released a battle cry as she leapt forward and began overwhelming me with attacks. I managed to block a good portion of them until it was my turn to retaliate. I threw various punches and kicks to which she blocked with ease. As I swung my arm, she grabbed it and twisted it, bringing me to my knees. I quickly turned and grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to me while we both rolled on the ground. I was now on top of her, pinning her arms down.

"Ah ha! I got you this time!" I said triumphantly. My victory was soon interrupted as she broke my grasp and she grabbed my vest. She rolled us across the ground again and she was now on top, pinning my arms down. I began to kick and struggle but it proved useless. "Or maybe not." She smiled.

"Your senses has certainly improved. You're getting better at this." She said.

"I know right? You can tell by the fact that you're pinning me to the ground." I joked. She took her paws off my wrists and stood up. She held out her paw, offering to help me up.

"Like I said, you're getting better. Trust me." I smiled and grabbed her paw. I then quickly pulled it and threw her over me. She landed on the ground behind me.

"Would you look at that, I am getting better." I joked as I laughed a little before it died down. I backs away slightly as I saw Tigress stare at me with a threatening gaze.

"Don't...move." She growled as she propped on all fours and began approaching me.

"Oh crap." I said. I jumped to my feet and ran like the wind towards the back of the hall with her sprinting after my ass. Despite how threatening she tried to appear, I couldn't help but find the situation funny. I believe I actually started to laugh as she chased me through the hall.

"Stay still!" She shouted.

"I'll stay still once you catch me!" I laughed as I sprinted past the wooden warriors and back to the front of the hall. Despite ho fast I was running, she was sprinting on all fours and eventually caught me. She leapt onto my back and brought me to the ground. I was expecting her to start punching the back of my head, instead she began to poke my sides. She was being...playful? It certainly seemed that way because she was starting to make me laugh my ass off. "No! Ti, please! I can't-I can't take it! Please!" I giggled.

"Not so witty now, are you?" She asked while continuing to torture me.

"I'm sorry! Please stop!" I cried out.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

"I hate you! I hate so much!" I yelled as my stomach ache from laughing too hard.

"I can keep this up all-"

"What exactly is going on here?" Came a voice from the entrance to the hall. Tigress shot to her feet and her smile dropped. She then placed held her paws together behind her back and stood to attention. I craned my head and saw Master Shifu standing by the doors to the hall with a stern expression.

"Master Shifu! We were just-" Tigress cut herself off unable to explain what just happened.

"She was twisting my arm. She got the best of me while we sparred. I guess I still need to train harder." I said. He gazed at me before turning to Tigress.

"Is that true?" He asked her. Tigress turned her gaze to me before setting them back onto Shifu.

"Yes."

"Very well. You can continue sparring later, as for now, Master Oogway has requested your presence." He said to me.

"He does? Where is he?"

"Inside the Hall of Warriors. I suggest you head there immediately." He said before leaving. Master Oogway wants to see me? This was certainly going to be enjoyable. I haven't seen him in a while and I relish the thought to speak with him again. Last time I spoke with him, he was teaching me something called 'inner peace' up in the mountains by a place called the Pool of Sacred Tears, which was apparently the birthplace of Kung Fu. There, Master Oogway tried to teach me this ability known as inner peace which apparently is the ability to harness the flow of the universe and enable one to do the seemingly impossible. The description certainly leaves a sort've fairy tale impression, but never the less, I was interesting in learning it. However, I didn't seem to accomplish it. But I still practice every so often.

"I guess I better go and and see him then. Maybe you I could play checkers when I get back." I said turning to Tigress. She nodded. "Alright, see you in a while."

"Wait." She called after me. I turned. "I should...apologise for my childish behaviour. I should have been more professional."

"Are you serious? You don't have to apologise. That was fun. I'm just glad to see that you actually have a fun side." She smiled.

"I won't keep you any longer."

"Alright then. See you soon, Ti." I then turned and left the hall and began heading for the Hall of Warriors. I reached it and slipped through the crack of the opens doors. There, at the end of the hall was the old turtle. He was on his staff in his meditating position and didn't move a muscle.

"It is good to see again." He spoke as his shell produced his limps. I smiled and began to approach him. As I reached him, he was now on the ground, wielding his staff and a smile was plastered on his face. I placed a fist in my palm.

"Greetings, Master." I bowed. He laughed inwardly.

"There is no need to be formal." He assured.

"In that case, do I permission to embrace you?" I asked. He smiled.

"Permission granted." I got down on one knee and wrapped my arms around him. He chuckled and patted my back with his claw. "It is good to see you again, Oogway."

"You as well, my friend. You're reputation has increased dramatically since we last met."

"Yeah, I guess it has."

"How is your training coming along?"

"It's coming along great. I'm like a ninja now." I joked.

"A ninja that many look up to. Even his friends." I smiled T his words.

"So, what did you want to see me about?"

"A very important matter, which involves you."

"Alright..." He then began walking towards the pool beneath the dragon and I followed.

"I believe...the times come. I can no longer have you here as my student." He said without turning. My eyes widened and I gasped.

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is, you are no longer a student at the Jade Place." He informed.

"I-I don't understand. What did I do wrong?" He turned towards me.

"Wrong? No, no. I believe you are misinterpreting my words. You are no longer my student because," he approached me and smiled, "You are now a master." My mouth opened ajar and I felt strange.

"I'm...a master? Of Kung Fu?" I questioned. He nodded. "Holy...crap. Oogway, I am just...honoured to receive this title. Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't even-I." Lost for words, I began to stuttered which caused Oogway to chuckle.

"You're most very welcome. It is a title you deserve for your hard work and constant training. I hope you will wear this title proudly."

"I will. Thank you again."

"Of course. Now you should be on your way."

"Yeah, alright. Goodbye, Oogway." I waved as I left the Hall and stood outside processing everything that just happened. "Yes! Yeah, baby!" I yelled preformed victory dance. I couldn't believe it! I was a master! This was just incredible. I was just lost for words. One second I thought I was getting kicked front the Palace and then the title 'master' is bestowed upon me. I had to tell the guys. I just couldn't keep this news to myself. The sun was now set, so I assumed they were all in the kitchen habit dinner. I quickened my pace with a goofy smile on my face as I rushed to the kitchen. I stood outside and began collecting my thoughts and composure. I took a deep breath before stepping inside. As I entered the building, the sound of conversation filled my ears. I then entered the kitchen to see them all having dinner.

"Oh, hey buddy." Monkey greeted.

"Hey. Oh look at that, Mantis isn't pissed for once. Someone's gotta write this down on a Calendar." I joked. The guys then released a chuckle.

"Very funny." Mantis said annoyed.

"I'm only kidding, buddy." I assured as I took a seat.

"You up for some soup, Ben?" Viper asked.

"No thanks, Vip. I've actually got a bit of news." My words caught everyone's attention.

"Oh, you finally get your period?" Mantis asked.

"No I did not. But I'll give you a clue. Since I got here I've been a student at the Jade Palace. Master Oogway has just informed me I'm no longer a student." I said. They began to ponder before they came up with an answer.

"You mean..." Monkey inclined.

"Yup." I smiled.

"You've be demoted to mailman?" Mantis asked.

"What? No. I'm...a master." They a went quiet at my words and I sat there waiting for a response.

"Are you serious?" Crane asked. I nodded.

"Congratulations, Ben! Or should I say, Master Ben." Viper said.

"We have to celebrate! Old Benny has become one of us!" Mantis said.

"That's not a bad idea. We can head down to Luc's cuisine. We can invite Kai, Jian and Ling." Viper said.

"And Irish?" Mantis asked.

"Oh no. Not him. Anywhere he goes, he manages to get drunk somehow." Viper said.

"Oh come on. He's Ben's friend." Mantis said. Viper then turned to me. I shrugged.

"He is a friend. And who cares I'd he gets drunk, we're gonna be celebrating anyway." I said. Viper then sighed.

"Alright. But he starts streaking through he streets again, he's never being invited to another celebration again." She said.

"Alright! Lets gets this party started!" Mantis yelled.


	28. Chapter 28

_Chapter 28: a night out with Master Ben_

So after I had told the guys about me becoming a master, we all headed down to the valley. As we reached the bottom of the steps from the Jade Palace, we all decided what we were going to do.

"Me and Monkey can go fetch Irish from the bar." Mantis said.

"Alright, then me and Crane can go get Kai and Jian." Viper added.

"Then thats leave me and Tigress to go get Ling. We'll all split up and meet up at Luc's." I said. Everyone nodded before taking off to their designated location. Tigress and I then started to head towards Ling's. "I guess it's official; I'm part of the crew now huh?" I said to Tigress.

"It would seem so. You have worked hard for that title and you deserve to have it." She said.

"Looks like you don't get to boss me around anymore seeing how we're on the same level now."

"You may be a master, but I'll always be one level above you."

"I'll become a better fighter than you in no time. You wait and see"

"I'm not sure that day will ever come. After all, you can't even beat me in checkers." She teased. Oh that was just low.

"Damn, Ti, that was just cold. I'll actually feel physically wounded by your words." I said holding my heart in a hurtful fashion.

"As much as I would love to continue this stimulating conversation, I believe we should hurry if we want to get to Luc's on time."

"Alright, alright no need to start crying. We're almost at Ling's anyway." We picked up the pace and soon found ourselves outside Ling's shop. I gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Came Ling's voice.

"It's me again. I came by to ask you something." I spoke. The sound of the locks on the doors clanked until the door opened.

"Ah, hello again, Ben. Oh and a hello to you too, master Tigress." Ling greeted.

"Good evening, Miss Ling." Tigress greeted back.

"Hey, Ling. I came by to ask you something." I also greeted.

"Alright, what do you need?"

"Well, Master Oogway has just announced that I'm...well that I've become a master." Ling smiled with glee before giving me a quick hug.

"Oh that's great! Congratulations, Ben!"

"Heh, thanks. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to join me and the rest of the guys for a night out in Luc's cuisine. You know, a little celebration."

"I would love too! It's just...well..." She trailed off.

"What's up?" She then opened the door fully exposing another figure inside. It was a female Liger who wore a dark green tunic that and black sleeves and a branch-like pattern on the front. She also wore black pants along with a waist wrap and black shoes.

"This is...my special friend I told you about. Ben, this is Chi. Chi, this is my good friend Ben." Chi extended a paw to which I shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chi. Ling's told me a bit about you." She then smiled.

"All good no doubt." She joked.

"Absolutely. She said that you and her are getting pretty close." Ling and Chi then embraced one another and held each other close.

"You could say that..." Chi cooed as she rubbed her cheek against Ling's.

"As you can see, I'm a little...busy. So I don't know if I could just leave Chi and attend your celebration." Ling said.

"Why doesn't she just come along?" I suggested.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't be intruding on your party, would I?" Chi asked.

"Of course not. Your very welcome to join us."

"Thank you. I'd love to go. What about you Ling?" Chi asked her lover.

"Sounds like it could be fun. We should go." Ling said before turning to me. "We won't have to wear anything formal will we?" I shook my head.

"No. It's just a gathering of friends. Wear what you want."

"Alright, just let me lock up the shop and we can get going." So Ling went back inside and grabbed a set of keys which she used to lock to door to the shop behind her before we began heading for Luc's cuisine. As we were about to head inside, I noticed Crane and Viper arriving with Kai and Jian. I smiled as they approached the entrance.

"Hey guys, it's good to see you again." I greeted. Kai released an inward chuckle before we both embraced for a brief moment.

"Good to see you as well, Ben." Kai said. As we broke the hug, I then gave a hug the Jian, who also placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Or do you prefer, Master Ben now?" Jian asked. I chuckled as I broke the hug.

"As cool as it sounds, I'd just prefer Ben."

"Of you say so. I can't believe you've actually become a master! I'm proud of you, buddy." Kai said patting my shoulder.

"Gee, thanks, uncle Kai." I joked. He merely rolled his eyes and smiled. He then turned his gaze towards Ling. "Ah, Ling! It's good to see you again."

"You too, Kai. And Jian your looking beautiful as always." Ling said.

"Thank you, Ling. You're looking beautiful too. I see you have a little friend with you." Jian said noticing Chi.

"Yes, this is, Chi." Ling said.

"A pleasure to meet you, Chi." Jian said extending a paw.

"You too, um...Jian was it?" Chi inclined while shaking her paw. Jian nodded.

"Yes. And this is my husband, Kai." Kai then extended his paw.

"Nice to meet you." Kai said.

"Likewise."

"Well now that the introductions are out of the way, shall we go inside?" I asked.

"Of course. Lets to." Jian said.

"So, who else is coming to this little celebration of yours?" Kai asked as we entered Luc's cuisine.

"Well there's still Mantis and Monkey to arrive. They're just collecting Irish." I replied.

"Irish? Didn't I arrest him for streaking in public?" Jian asked.

"Yes you did. But he means nothing by his behaviour, he was only having fun." Kai said.

"Well his 'fun' came to an end when I put his ass in our cells for the night."

"Yeah, but you could have given him something to wear while he was in there. He said to me that he was freezing all night."

"It was to teach him a lesson. Which it did, have you seen him nude out in public recently?"

"No. But please, love, try to be nice." Jian then sighed.

"Fine. I'll be nice." We then reached the front desk and Luc was standing behind it. He raised his head as he heard us approach.

"Bonjour. How may I help you?" Luc asked.

"We need a table for eleven, Luc." I said.

"Of course! Right this way." Luc said leading us further into his restaurant. He stopped in front of a large table with plenty of seats surrounding it. The table a a white cloth covering it and had empty glasses and silverware in front of each seat along with a menu.

"Thanks, Luc." I said.

"Have a wonderful night, my friend." He bowed before leaving us. We all then sat down at the table and picked up a menu each. After placing our order, Mantis, Monkey and Irish finally arrived.

"Hey guys." Monkey greeted as he took a seat along with Mantis and Irish.

"Hey, Monkey. Hey, Mantis. And a hello to you too Irish." Kai greeted back.

"There is is now! The master! Congrats, Ben!" Irish said.

"Heh, thanks, Irish. Glad you could make." I said smiling.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it fer the world! How about I get ye all a drink? On me on course." Irish said.

"Not sure they sell whiskey here, Irish. I'm sure it's only wine and champagne." I said. Irish then gasped.

"No feckin' whiskey!? Jesus, I don't think I'll survive the night."

"Then why don't you just settle for wine?" Jian suggested.

"I would, but I figured we was celebrating, so the goal would be to get pissed." Jian then snorted.

"You getting pissed? That's new."

"Sweetheart..." Kai mumbled.

"Hey! I resent that...somewhat." Irish said. Jian then sighed

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, Irish." She said.

"Ah, no worries. Now, I order the drinks." Irish said. He clicked his fingers, catching a waiters attention. The waiter then approached the table.

"Yes, sir? How may I help you?" He said.

"I'd like three bottles a wine please." Irish said.

"Of course, right away sir." The waiter bowed before leaving. After Irish, Mantis and Monkey placed their order, the drinks arrived as well as the food. Everyone was having a good time and every ring was just took great. Right now, Mantis was telling the story about when we were escorting Chan a few weeks back.

"...and so, the prince was really starting to piss Ben off and Ben's starts losing patience for this guy. So enough, Ben snaps and starts yelling at him. The prince, who now shitting his pants at Bens fury, says 'Y-you can't speak to m-me like that. I can have y-you beheaded.' So Bens goes 'Ah behind him, behead her.' And.." Mantis stopped as he began laughing. "And-and then grabs his crotch and yells 'behead this!'" Mantis tell burst out laughing as did everyone except Jian and Tigress. Jian crossed her arms and gave me a stern look.

"You grabbed yourself in front of a prince?" She asked. I raised my hands defensively.

"Hey, he pushed me over the line. I just lost it, I didn't know what I was doing." I said.

"In all fairness, love, the prince did sound like a bit of a brat." Kai said.

"I suppose." Jian said. Kai then smiled and nudged her.

"And you have to admit, that did sound pretty funny." He said. Jian rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Yes, I suppose it was. So what happened after you grabbed your penis?" Jian asked.

"Well he kind've just left. He looked upset too. I felt pretty guilty afterwards so I went to apologise. After I found him, he was being kidnapped by a gang of crocs." I said. Jian then released a annoyed sigh as she brought her face to her paw.

"Let me guess, Fung and his merry band of idiots?" She asked.

"Yup. The very same." Mantis answered.

"I reckon they'll be in and out of the Valley within the week. Anyway, what happened next?" Kai asked.

"Well we took on this giant croc and after beating the shit out of him he told us where they took the prince. We got to a house in a field, got inside and found the prince. Apparently the crocs planned on kidnapping the prince for a ransom. Pity we had to ruin the party. We beat them up and freed the prince. I apologised for what I did and afterwards his attitude changed. He become more kindhearted and wasn't such a pain in the ass. Anyway, we got him to to docks and said goodbye." I said.

"That's quite a tale. I must say, you've left a bit of an impression to the people of the Valley and beyond." Ling said.

"She's right. I often hear people talk about you and your achievements. You're certainly no stranger to China anymore." Kai said. I scratched to back of my head.

"Damn, I didn't think I was making that big of an impression to people." I said.

"Why wouldn't you? You're helpful, kindhearted and a great friend." Viper said.

"You're always there for your friends, hell you even help get me and Viper together." Crane added. Viper then pressed her cheek against his and they both smiled. Irish then raised his glass of wine.

"A toast; to Ben!" He announced. Everyone then raised their glasses including me.

"To Ben!" They chanted before taking a sip from their glass.

"Give us a speech!" Irish requested.

"Oh no I rather not, I-"

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" They chanted. I rolled my eyes and stood up.

"Alright! Enough with the tears, I'll make a speech." I said I defeat. I cleared my throat and began to think about what I would say. I then raised my gaze from the table and smiled. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you guys. You've become an important part of my life now. I don't just see you as my friends, but my best friends. People who I care for and love to be around. I can only hope that today will only be the beginning of memorable moments with you all in the future. The world can throw as many shitty days or depressing moments at us. Because I know we'll get through them...together." I raised my glass. "To friendship." Everyone then raised their glasses once more.

"To friendship!" They yelled. From there the night only got better stories were shared and gossip was whispered. Being around these guys made me realise just how lucky I was to have them in my life. These...wonderful and kind people who I've grown to care for have become the greatest people I've ever met. And I'm glad to have met them. So after around two hours, our little party came to an end and we soon found ourselves outside Luc's.

"Well, I better be headin' home. Feckin' brilliant party, Ben." Irish slurred. As you could imagine, he was drunk.

"See you later, Irish. Try to keep your clothes on this time when heading home." I joked. He laughed and began to stumble away.

"I better get home too. I had a great time."Ling said.

"Goodbye, Ling. Goodbye, Chi." I waved. Both Chi and Ling then departed.

"We better be heading back too, Kai." Jian said before leaning closer to him. "We'll be using the cuffs tonight. Kai stood blankly and just blinked before grabbing his wife's paw.

"See you guys later!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Does she know we heard her?" Mantis asked as we began heading back towards to Jade Palace.

"Do you think she cares?" I asked.

"Probably not. Still, cuffs, huh? You think they experiment often?"

"Only you would ask that question. It's amazing how you just bring other people's sex life into conversation and don't even sound embarrassed to ask." I said amazed.

"There ain't nothing embarrassing about talking about sex. I'm pretty sure I'd leave a good impression with what I've got downstairs." Mantis said with a smirk.

"Please, with what you've got you'd be lucky to reach the hymen." I joked.

"Ohhh!" The rest yelled in unison. Mantis's face went bright red as he hid his face. I shot shot both Crane and Monkey a high five. As you could imagine, Mantis stayed quiet after being verbally backhanded by me. We soon found ourselves at the Jade Palace and we headed to our rooms. As everyone began to headed into their room, I stood outside mine and saw Tigress about to hers.

"Hey, Ti, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked. She turned towards me standing in her doorway.

"Of course, what do you need?"

" I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me. I believe one of the main reasons I'm now a master is because of you helping me these last few months."

"I only assisted you with various techniques. You did the rest." I shook my head.

"No, I didn't. I was practically a clueless moron when I started Kung Fu. It's because of your friendship and support that I've reached the level of master. I'm beyond grateful for your help, Ti. Thank you." She smiled.

"You're welcome. I'll see you in the morning, Master Ben." I smirked.

"See you, Ti." She then closed the door to her room and I entered my own. I removed my vest and laid down onto my bed before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep with a smile plastered onto my face. "Master, Ben. I like the sound of that."


	29. Chapter 29

_Chapter 29: the Dragon Warrior is chosen_

Ever since I became a master two weeks back, something brilliant happened. I was no now officially part of the team. And what I mean by that is that I was now part of the Furious Five, or as it was called now, The Furious Six. I know it didn't have the same ring to it as Five, but it is what is. Life was only getting better and better for me here. It was a beautiful morning and after we had woken up, Master Shifu had instructed us to use our training to try and take him by surprise. He sat beneath the tree that was outside the training hall and he was playing his flute. While he played a calming tune, the guys and I hid in the bushes that nestled around the courtyard. A signal was given by Tigress and we all began to scurry around the bushes silently and positioned ourselves. And then after a short moment of waiting, we all pounced. As we all neared him, his ear twitched and he sprung into a defensive position. As we threw various attacks, he merely blocked, deflected and parried them with ease until we all stood in a circle around him. He eyed us all before resuming his gravity.

"Well done students." He spoke. In response we all made a fist and placed it into our palms and bowed. But then he continued. "IF you were trying to disappoint me!" He raised his flute and pointed it at us individually. "Tigress, you need more ferocity. Monkey, greater speed. Crane-height. Viper-subtlety. Mantis-"

"M-master Shifu." Came a voice. Shifu's flute then spun quickly and pointed at Zeng, who none of us saw coming.

"What?!" Shifu asked with a raised tone which startled Zeng and caused him to yelp.

"I-it's Master Oogway. He wants to see you." Zeng replied. The angry on Shifus face then extinguished at his words and was replaced with concern. He then turned to us.

"Resume your training inside the hall. I will return as soon as I can." He said before taking off. Zeng followed shortly after.

"Judging by how loud he shouted at us today, it probably means we did okay." Mantis joked.

"If we're lucky, we might be able to get him to shout louder at us later if we try harder." I added. The rest laugh inwardly before we all headed inside the training hall. While the rest were at their designated training equipment, Tigress and I began sparring. I, however, was holding back a little.

"You know, you could at least attempt to hit me harder." She said.

"You know I don't like striking women." I said. She then released a sly smile.

"You certain it's not because you're frightened that I might beat you?" She teased. I then released a smile of my own.

"Oh ho! Them be fightin' words!" I said before jumping up and throwing a kick. She grabbed it while I was in midair, causing me to hit the ground. I then rolled across the floor, freeing myself from her grasp and surprised her with a leg sweep which caused her to hit the ground. "Where's you're brave words now, Miss Tigress?" I asked with a smirk. She then twirled back onto her feet gracefully and began to throw a series of punches. I managed to block them but she then took me by surprise by twisting my arm and planting me into the ground. She then pressed her knee into my back and kept me on the ground. "Point taken."

"I believe I understand why you refuse to strike women. It's because they'll plant you into the ground." She joked.

"Hardy, harr. Speaking of which, would you mind removing your knee from my back now? I think my spine is beginning to break." I requested. She removed her knee and I rolled over onto my back. "Ah, that's better." I released a sigh of relief. I then saw her kneeling down next to me.

"I hope I didn't hurt you." She said concerned.

"Relax, you've kicked my ass so many times, I've lost feeling in just about every part of my body." I joked. However, there was guilt in her expression. I then gave her a playful nudge. "I'm fine really. Don't worry." I assured. She then reclaimed her smile once again.

"Shall we continue?" She asked. I then nodded. She then stood up and held out her paw. I grabbed it and then surprised her by dragging her to the floor as I shot to my feet.

"I might actually beat you today." I said. However, she performed a leg sweep and I found myself on the ground once more.

"Perhaps tomorrow." She mocked, before we continued to spar. After a short time past Master Shifu entered the hall.

"Students! To me at once." We all then rushed towards him and bowed in front of him."I have an announcement to make. Master Oogway has informed me that the Dragon Warrior will be chosen today," At those words, Tigress' ears perked up, "The Valley will be informed and will host a tournament down at the arena. So prepare yourselves until then." After he finished speaking he turned and left.

"Holy crap! The Dragon Warrior is gonna be chosen!" Mantis exclaimed.

"This day certainly got a lot more interesting." Crane added.

"You can say that again. This is going to be exciting." Viper said.

"We better on a good show for the Valley. This is going to be a big occasion." Monkey noted.

"We better start planning then." So for the next hour or so we began planning what kind of show we should put on. We decided to make a grand entrance, displaying our moves and such. Then we would each display of Kung Fu by facing inanimate opponent. Crane was going to go first while I went last. As the rest conversed amongst themselves, I approached Tigress.

"Today's you're big chance, Ti. I just know you'll get that title." I assured.

"I can only hope. I'll certainly try my best." She said.

"I know that's not true. I know that you'll do more than you're best." She smiled at my words.

"Thank you. You're encouragement has been a great help over the last few months."

"It's what a friend does. You've helped me as well and it wouldn't feel right to return the favour."

"And I'm thankful. I really I'm. Now, we should get this tournament going."

"Right, lets get to it then." After finishing up with preparations for the tournament, we began heading down to the arena. I have to admit, this was a pretty excited moment. Performing in front of all these people was going to be fun and I hope the title of Dragon Warrior is given to Tigress. After being friends with her for the last few months, I realised just how much this meant to her and she deserves it considering what she's been through. As we neared the arena, the sound of people celebrated filled my ears. The arena then came into view. I saw of the villagers setting off fireworks and many children chasing one another in glee. There was also dragon mascots parading around. It looked like the entire Valley had gathered here today. Then again, it's not surprising, especially with a historic moment like today. We headed down to the centre and waited for Master Shifu and Master Oogway. While we waited I noticed a familiar faces in the crowd. I smiled as I approached Kai, Ling and Chi. "Hey, guys." I greeted.

"Hey, Ben, it's good to see you." Ling said embracing me.

"You too, Ling. good to see you two as well." I said breaking the hug and giving one to both Kai and Chi.

"It's hard to think the Dragon Warriors is gonna be chosen today. This will be exciting." Kai said with a smile. I then looked around and raised a brow confused.

"Isn't Jian coming?" I asked. Kai's smile then faded and he sighed sadly.

"No, she couldn't make it. She's...been feeling rather ill lately. I don't know what's wrong with her. She started feeling tired and began vomiting every so often. So I brought her to a doctor and I'm still waiting for a result."

"Kai, I'm sorry, man. I'm sure she'll get better. After all, it's Jian we're talking about, she's a fighter, she'll beat whatever she's got, you'll see." I assured. Kai released a weak smile.

"You're right. She'll be fine. Thanks, Ben." I patted his shoulder.

"No problem, buddy." Suddenly, I saw everyone turn their attention towards one direction. I followed their gaze and noticed it was fixed on Master Shifu and Master Oogway coming down the steps from the palace. "Oh, I better get ready. I'll talk to you later guys."

"Good luck, Ben!" Ling said. I waved over my shoulder as I made my way back to the guys.

"You ready, guys?" Mantis asked.

"Hell yeah we are. Lets give these people a show." Monkey said. So we all waited for while until Master Shifu had began to call us out.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace! It is my great honor to present to you... Tigress! Ben! Viper! Crane! Monkey! Mantis! The Furious Six!" Master Shifu announced. We then popped out into the open and launched into the air. Well, the rest did, Crane grabbed me with his talons and threw me into the air, where a performed various moves along with the guys before we landed onto the ground and stood with Kung Fu poses while Crane flapped his wings, causing a gust of wind throughout the arena. "Warriors prepare!" Shifu shouted. Crane then landed onto the ground and face a large wooden box with had a large number of fireworks inside. "Ready for battle!" Crane pulled a defensive position before the machine shot fireworks out. Crane spread his wings and flew into the air while the fireworks followed him. The flapped his wings and remained idle in the sky as the fireworks neared. As they were about to strike him, Crane gained altitude quickly which caused the fireworks to collide and exploded in the air, displaying a beautiful array of colours. The crowd roared and cheered loudly at Cranes performance. He bowed and headed back towards us. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and smiled.

"Nice going, Crane!" I said. He chucked.

"Heh, thanks."

"Next warrior to perform; Master Viper!" Shifu announced.

"Good luck sweetheart." Crane encouraged. Viper smiled before giving him a quick kiss.

"Thanks. Alright, here I go." She said before slithering into the arena.

"Give em hell, Viper!" Mantis cheered. So after Viper had finished her performance, Mantis was up next and then Monkey and finally it was Tigress's turn. Before she ensured the arena, I placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Good luck, Ti." I said. She gave a small smile.

"Thank you. Here I go." She said before stepping foot into the arena. She came face to face with a massive wooden of that was equipped with various deadly blades.

"Believe me citizens, you have not seen anything yet! Master Tigress! Face Iron Ox and his Blades of Death!" Shifu said. Tigress took up a defensive position, readying to face her daunting opponent. Before I could watch Tigress in action, I noticed something strange fly over the arena. I didn't get a good enough glimpse and all I could make out was black and white blur. Did I really just see that? Or was my mind playing tricks on me? I shook my head and decided not to think about it too much. I turned my attention back towards Tigress and awaited for her to kick some wooden ass. However, before she could get a chance to take on the massive ox, I noticed everyone's attention turning towards Oogway. I then turned my gaze towards him as well and notice he had his eyes closed and had a claw raised. He uttered something but I couldn't make it out. But then Shifu turned to us and gave a nod. We then understand what was happening and headed to the centre of the arena. We all stood in a line with our arms behind our backs as we faced our masters.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace! Master Oogway will now choose... the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu announced. The crowd cheered and pigs surrounding the arena began to beat on their drums. Oogway then slowly descended the steps down to the arena while his eyes were closed and his claw swaying in the air. He began to approach us while still swaying his claw side to side. I switched my gaze from Oogway to Tigress holding that his claw would land on her.

'Please pick her...please pick her..." I thought. He neared closer and closer until...

"Ahhhh!" I heard someone scream.

'What the-' I thought. All of a sudden some sort of a giant black and white object was launched into the air which exploded expelling fireworks. The crowd erupted into 'ohhh's' and 'ahhh's'. While others were focused on the fireworks, my eyes were fixed on the black and white being in the air. What the hell was that? It looks like a-

"Ahhhhh!" It screamed as it began plummeting to the ground until it hit with a big impact causing dust to fly into the air. As the dust cleared, I got a good look at what caused all this. To my surprise, I a saw a groaning panda in the middle of the arena. He had no top and only wore patched-up burlap shorts with Shaolin wraps around his ankles. It was strange seeing a panda. I've been around the Valley a few times and have never seen him before. He began groaning before his eyes slowly opened and were set on us. "Ugh...what's goin' on...? Where, uh...?" He then turned his gaze towards Oogway, who was pointing at him. "What are you pointing...?" The panda then shook his head, realising he was getting in the way. "Oh! Okay, sorry! I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was."

"How interesting." Oogway spoke intrigued. Tigress then stepped forward confused.

"Master, are you pointing at... me?" She asked.

"Him." Oogway said with his finger still pointing at the panda.

"Who?..." The panda then attempted to move out of the way, but Oogway's finger followed him.

"You."

"Me?" Oogway then lifted his arm with his staff.

"The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" Oogway announced.

"What?" The panda questioned.

"What!?" The six of us exclaimed.

"What!?" Shifu shouted. The doors to the arena then flew open relieving a goose who was wearing red robes and noodle bowl shaped hat.

"What!?" The goose exclaimed. The announcer strikes the gong. Shifu snatches away the mallet, but is too late as the crowd cheers wildly and confetti rains down. The panda stares around him, speechless. A group of the palaces geese rapidly descend the palace stairs with a palanquin.

"Stop! Wait! Who told you to-" Shifu began but stopped mid sentence as the geese went straight past him and headed towards the panda. Shifu raced down after them as the panda was hoisted up on the palanquin. The geese struggle to lift the palanquin and make their way back towards the stairs. While we all bowed, Shifu finally reached Oogway. "Master, Master wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the answer to... our problem! You were about to point at Tigress and that thing fell in front of her! That was just an accident!"

"There are no accidents." Oogway assured. We all turned to see that the panda has broke through the palanquin. Shifu then looks at Oogway and Oogway merely smiles. Palace pigs surround The panda and lift the palanquin and helped lifted the palanquin, and made their way up the stairs. Shifu stares after them in disbelief, as we approached him.

"Forgive us, Master." Tigress said before bowing. We all then did the same. "We have failed you." Shifu raises a paw stopping her from continuing.

"No. If the panda has not quit by morning, then I will have failed you."


	30. Chapter 30

_Chapter 30: the new addition to Kung Fu_

"Proceed to the training hall. I'll go deal with our 'guest'." Master Shifu said before heading towards the Hall of Warriors. We did what he asked and began heading to the training hall while we talked.

"I think my eyes may have been playing tricks on me. Did a panda just fall from the sky and Oogway pronounced him as the Dragon Warrior? Someone tell me I was just seeing things." Mantis said in disbelief.

"I wish I could, but it seems that did just happen." Monkey said.

"The Dragon Warrior, who's going to wield secret to limitless power, is a panda?" Mantis asked.

"As bizarre as it sounds, it would seem so." I answered.

"You don't think Master Oogway may have made a mistake, do you?" Viper asked no one in particular.

"There's a chance, but this is Master Oogway we're talking about. He's one of the wisest person in China." I said.

"Well, I doubt the panda will be here long. Master Shifu will have him leave here in no time. I guess all we can do now is got back to training and wait." Crane suggested. We all agreed and entered the hall. The guys all then began training at their usual spots but I decided not to begin just yet, figuring that I should talk to Tigress first. God only knows what's going through her mind right now. So many years of training all gone to waste because of some fluke. She probably needed someone to talk to and I figured I be the one to do it considering how close we were. I approached her while she was beating the crap out of a boxing bag. I crossed my arms and watched.

"Hey, Ti. You doing okay?" I asked. She did not give a response and instead continued to throw punches and kicks at the back. "Tigress..."

"What?" She asked in a cold tone and ceased her punching. She was taking heavy breaths and had an angered expression.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing and maybe see if you needed a friend." She then continued to punch and kick the bag.

"I'm fine."

"Really? You don't seem to be. Look, it's okay to be angry, I understand. You just-"

"Angry? Why should I be angry? I only lost the only opportunity to appease my father. I lost it to a...big...fat...panda!" She yelled as she threw a final punch causing the bag to break off the chain it was him from and burst open. It hit the ground causing sand to pour out of it.

"It's gonna be okay, Ti. You're-" I placed my hand on her shoulder and she shook I off.

"Just...leave me be." She said in a harsh tone. I frowned but gave a nod.

"I understand. I'm sorry for disturbing you." I apologised before turning to leave her.

"Ben...wait." She called after me. I turned to see her sigh and lower her head shamefully. "Forgive me, I did that mean to speak to you like that. I'm just...enraged with what has happened."

"Like I said, it's okay to be angry. But just know that I'm here If you need to talk about it." I assured.

"Thank you. Maybe we could talk about later. Right now we should resume our training."

"Sure. I'll talk to you in while then." I said before getting back to training. As we train at various equipment for a while, I saw the doors to the hall open, revealing Shifu and the panda. He watched us train in awe switching his gaze to each one of us. As it fell onto Tigress, who was dodging the swinging spiked clubs on spinning serpent logs. As she continued to avoid them, she struck one, breaking into pieces, causing one to strike the panda in the forehead. He grabbed his head in pain and I heard an 'ow' emit from him. Shifu and the panda the proceeded into the hall and I began to hear their conversation.

"...Well... I don't know if I can do all of those moves..." The panda said with uncertainty.

"Well, if we don't try, we'll never know, will we?" Shifu asked as he lead the panda around the hall.

"Yeah. It's just— maybe we can find something more suited to my level..." The panda suggested.

"And what level is that?" Shifu asked.

"Well, ya know... I'm not a master, but uh, let's just start at zero. Level Zero." Shifu then laughed at his words.

"There is no such thing as Level Zero"

"Hey! Maybe I can start with that!" The panda said pointing and running over towards the adversary. At this point we all decided to stop training and see how this guy does in action. Or whatever it's called when you fight an inanimate object.

"That? We use that for training children. And for propping the door open when it's hot. But if you insist..." Shifu said. We were now facing the two and we all stood in a line.

"Whoa. The Furious Six. You're so much bigger than your action figures — except for you, Mantis. You're about the same." The panda said. I couldn't help but bring my hand to my mouth to suppress a laugh. Action figures, huh? And there's one of me? That's pretty cool.

"Go ahead, panda. Show us what you can do." Shifu said. However, the panda hesitated as he saw us watching him.

"Um, are they going to watch. Or should I just wait until they get back to work or something?..."

"Hit it." Shifu said with a bit of irritation in his tone. The panda, however, seemed to keep stalling.

"Okay. I mean I just ate, so I'm still digesting. So my kung fu might not be as good as later on..."

"Just hit it!" Shifu said raising his voice. The panda paused for a second before speaking.

"Alright." The panda then turned towards the adversary. Whatcha got? You got nothin' 'cause I got it right here. You picking on my friends?" He then began jumping on the spot. "Get ready to feel the thunder. I'm comin' at him with the crazy feet. Whatcha gonna do about my crazy feet? I'm a blur. I'm a blur. You never seen bear style, you only seen praying Mantis! OR... I could come at you Monkey style." He then made monkey sounds causing monkey to raise a brow. "OR... I'm comin' at ya snikity-snake..."

"Would you hit it!?" Shifu exclaimed finally losing his patience. The panda then ceased from hopping on the stop.

"Alright... Alright." The panda then hesitantly tapped the adversary causing it to rock back and forth.

"Why don't you try again? A little harder." Shifu suggested. The panda then hit the dummy much harder causing it to knock backwards.

"How's tha-" the panda was cut off as the dummy came back and whacked him, sending him flying backwards and knocked out one of his teeth. He then found himself on the training course, to which we were all about to step in and help. However, Shifu held up a paw, stopping us. The panda began to struggle on the spinning serpent logs and eventually found himself in a painful split. "Ow! Oh, that hurts!" He exclaimed. He raised his gaze only to be hit by one of the spiked clubs with the blunt side which sent him flying towards the jade tortoise which rattled him around inside.

"This'll be easier than I thought." Shifu noted. The jade tortoise then spat him out and he stumbled into the course wooden warriors, which they proceeded to whack every part of his body.

"Ow, those are hard! Ooh! I think I-" he was then silenced as one of the warriors arms struck him straight into the groin. I grabbed my crotch an winced. Jesus, I felt that one. "Oooohoohoo... my tenders." He spoke in a hoarse tone. He struggled to get on his feet. And when he did, he took one step and reached out to a dummy arm...and immediately gets hit all over again. He then stumbled out the other side of the course, battered and bruised and stumbled onto the Field of Fiery Death.

"Oh shit..." I uttered. The flames then shot out, causing the panda to get singed and made him yell in pain. The field then ceased to project fire and the panda crawled over to us while he gasped for breath.

"How did I do?" He asked Shifu

"There is now a Level Zero." Shifu said as he extinguished the little fire that was on the pandas head with his fingers. Shifu then told us to get back to training as he left the panda to recover. I've seen Shifu cold and harsh at times, but his was just taking too far. I mean Jesus, the guy looks harmless and innocent. It was difficult to just stand there and not help him. Thankfully, he managed to recover from his wounds and we soon found ourselves heading back to our rooms since it was now nighttime. As we headed to the bunkhouse, Mantis decided to start up a conversation.

"There's no words." He said.

"No denying that." Crane said.

"I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking. The poor guy's just going to get himself killed!" Viper said.

"He is so mighty! The Dragon Warrior... fell out of the sky on a ball of fire!" Crane said in a mocking tone.

"When he walks, the very ground shakes!" Mantis joked. Everyone laugh aside from Tigress and myself.

"One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone who actually knew Kung Fu." Tigress said walking ahead of us.

"Yeah, or could at least touch his toes." Crane said.

"Or even see his toes." Monkey joked. Again, the guys laughed, except Tigress and myself again. I felt too sorry for the guy to just laugh at him.

"Come on, guys, don't you think you're being a little harsh?" I asked.

"Are you serious? Did you see him in the training? He sucked" Mantis said

"Yeah and when I arrived here, I sucked too. But you all didn't give me a hard time."

"When you arrived, you didn't assume the role as Dragon Warrior." Crane noted.

"And did he? Because if I remember, Master Oogway was the one who pronounced as the Dragon Warrior. Maybe he doesn't seem like it now, but who knows. Maybe he will in time."

"If you say so, buddy." Mantis said in a skeptical tone. I merely shook my head as my pace slowed down and the guys were ahead of me. I stopped in my tracks as I heard someone behind me. I turned to see the panda far behind me, staring at the ground. I was about to just keep walking but then a figured I should speak to him. I knew what it was like to arrive here for the first time and feel I accepted. I turned and headed towards him.

"Hey." I said catching his attention. He razored his head and twiddled his fingers nervously.

"Oh, Master Ben, hello." He said.

"I don't think I caught your name." I noted.

"Oh, um...it's Po." He said. He seemed rather nervous to be speaking with me.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, it's just...I'm a big fan and it's so cool to be speaking with you." He said.

"A fan, huh?" I said crossing my arms.

"Of course! You guys are awesome! I loved when you like fought Han-Shi! You were fearless and cool and-and" he was certainly more at ease as he released his fan-boyish nature. I didn't really know we had fans. We certainly had people who respected us but I've never seen someone who said there were a fan.

"Heh, thanks. Listen, I know everyone here may seem a little harsh, but that's only because they're a little angry with the whole Dragon Warrior business." Po then frowned.

"Yeah, they don't seem to like me very much."

"I know what it's like to feel left out and disliked, so if you need anything. Or need some help, just...ask me, okay?" He then smiled once more.

"Thank you, Master Ben."

"Just call me Ben." He then bit his fingers and released a girly scream.

"Okay." He said with a high pitched tone. I could t help but smile before heading to the bunkhouse. I entered my room, took of my vest and laid down and got ready to go to sleep. However, as I closed my eyes, they shot back open as I heard a creaking sound coming from the hall. The creaking sound continued until I heard, what sounded like wood break. I then heard Po make a struggling sound. Did he just break through the wooden floor? I heard him recover and it seemed it he tried to head down the hallway again only to stumbled into Cranes room. I sat up and saw the two silhouettes meet.

"Oh hey... hi. You're up." Po said.

"Am now." Crane said. I could tell this was going to be awkward.

"I was just, uh... Some day, huh? That kung fu stuff is hard work, right? Your biceps sore?" Po asked. I saw Cranes silhouette raise its wing and examined it.

"Um... I've had a long and rather disappointing day, so uh...yeah, I should probably get to sleep now." He said.

"Yeah yeah yeah, of course." Po said turning to leave.

"Okay, thanks." Crane said relieved.

"It's just... I'm such a big fan." Po then turned back towards Crane.

"Oop." Crane uttered alarmed.

"You guys were totally amazing at the Battle of Weeping River. Outnumbered a thousand to one, but you didn't stop, and then you just... WA-YA-HA-HA HI-YAH!" Po performed a series of kicks and punches before I heard a tearing sound. "Ooh, sorry about that." I could only assume that he ripped a part of the wall between Crane and Monkeys room.

"Look, you don't belong here." Crane said rather harshly.

"I know. I know. You're right. I just-my whole life, I've dreamed of-"

"No no no... I meant you don't belong here. I mean, in this room. This is my room. " Crane then tapped thw ground with his talon. "Property of Crane."

"Oh, okay. Right right. Yeah, you want to get to sleep." Po then began to back out of the room.

"Yeah."

"I'm keepin' you up. We got big things tomorrow." Po then began shutting the door to Cranes room. "Alright. You're awesome. Last thing I'm gonna say. Okay. Bye bye." His silhouette, however, seemed to remain outside the door. Crane then sighed and his door flew open. "What was that?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Okay. Alright. Goodnight. Sleep well." Po then stepped out of the room again and Crane brought his talon to his face. "Seemed a little bit awkward..." Po then headed down the hall while the ground squeaked as he stepped onto it. Suddenly, Tigress's door flew open which caused Po to wince. "Master Tigress! Didn't mean to wake you. I was just, uh-"

"You don't belong here." Tigress spoke.

"Uh, yeah, of course. This is your room-" Tigress then stepped forward, silencing him.

"I mean... you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You're a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning." She then shut her door leaving Po standing in the hall alone.

"Big fan..." Po said trailing off. I then heard him sigh as he began to leave the building, to which I assumed that he may be going for a walk. I laid back down on my bed and shut my eyes. Tomorrows certainly gonna get interesting.


	31. Chapter 31

_Chapter 31: the story of Tai Lung_

I stirred slightly before opening my eyes and releasing a yawn. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before grabbing my vest and putting it on. I got up and waited by the door for the morning gong. While I waited, my thoughts began to centre around the events that occurred yesterday. It certainly was a crazy ass day. One of the most anticipated days had come and it was interrupted by a panda who was given the title of Dragon Warrior. He was given a pretty hard time yesterday, god knows what's in store for him today. I believed I was the only one who felt sorry for him. Well, I think Viper does as well. I just hope the guys will take it easy on him. I wouldn't expect Tigress to though. She was really upset yesterday and who could blame her? She lost her only chance to appeal to Shifu. I just wished I could do something to help her. But I guess I'll I could do now was be there for her. I continued to ponder for some time until I heard the morning gong. I shot out of my room and stood to attention with the others.

"Good morning, Master!" We all greeted in unison. All except one.

"Panda!" Shifu called out. He then rushed down the hall and walked past Tigress's room and mine. He then threw open the doors to room to my left. "Panda, wake up!" Shifu looked inside the room before releasing a chuckle. "He's quit." He said. Quit? Damn, that sucks. I could only assume the others are happy to hear the news that Po has left. It was a shame really, he seemed like a nice guy, but I guess being pressured to leave by Shifu finally got to him. And if he's gone, what does that mean for the whole Dragon Warrior business? Will Oogway pick someone else to be the Dragon Warrior? I guess time will tell. Shifu then instructed us to follow him to the training hall after we had breakfast. While we began to approach the courtyard outside the training hall we all began to converse.

"I knew he be gone by morning." Mantis said.

"Considering how he awful he did yesterday, I was surprised he didn't just leave after training." Monkey said.

"Yeah, well he's gone now, so we can put this all behind us." Mantis said.

"What do we do now, Master? With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?" Viper asked Shifu.

"All we can do is resume our training and trust that in time, the true Dragon Warrior will be revealed." Shifu said. I guess he was right. And maybe it'll be Tigress who'll be announced Dragon Warrior. Speaking of Tigress, I noticed on the way to the training hall that she seamed rather pleased with Po being gone, suggesting that her mood is improved. It was good to see her relatively happy again. Master Shifu opened the doors to the courtyard only to reveal...a strange but humorous sight. In the centre of the courtyard, was Po trying to perform a split using two training horses and by the looks of it, he was struggling. "What are you doing here?!" Shifu asked in anger. Po then gazed over his shoulder and brought a fist to his empty paw.

"Hey! Huh... Good morning, Master! I just thought I'd warm up a little." Po said.

"You're stuck." Shifu stated.

"Stuck?! Whaa? Pfft... stuck... does this look stuck to you... Yeah, I'm stuck." Po admitted.

"Help him." Shifu said to me. I nodded and headed over to Po who still struggling to get out of his predicament.

"Alright, here to go." I said as I wrapped my arms under his and lifted him off the training horses with ease. I guess my strength had increased over the last few months if I was able to lift a full grown panda like he was a leaf.

"Thank you." Po said relieved that he finally got back onto his feet.

"No problem." I said before I joined my friends.

"You actually thought you could learn to do a full split in one night? It takes years to develop one's flexibility." Shifu said as he grabbed two stone slabs and tossed then into the air. Tigress then stepped forward and got on all fours. "And years longer to apply it in combat." Shifu then snapped his fingers. Tigress leapt up into the air and performed a perfect split kick, effectively breaking the stone slabs into pieces. As she landed onto the ground, Po stood there awestruck at Tigress's display. I have to admit, that was pretty cool. She glared at Po before she returned to Shifu's side. The broken chunks of the slabs land all around Po and a large one knocked him on the head. He seemed unfazed however and picked up the piece of splintered slab and hid it behind his back.

"Put that down! The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones." Shifu shouted.

"Yeah, excellent!" Po exclaimed excitedly as he threw away the piece of slab he collected.

"Let's get started." Shifu said as he snapped his fingers. We all immediately formed a line around the centre of the courtyard. "Step forward, panda." Po then rushed to the centre of the courtyard and waited eagerly. "Viper, to the centre. Viper then slithered forward and faced Po.

"Are you ready?" Viper asked Po.

"I was born ready-" Po was immediately cut off as Viper's tail lashed out, flinging Po into the air and brought him down on his head. Shit! That looked like it hurt like hell!

"I'm sorry, brother! I thought you said you were ready!" Viper said.

"That was...awesome! Lets go again!" Po said bringing his fist to his paw. Shifu then glared at him with anger before snapping his fingers again.

"Monkey!" He called out. Monkey then leapt forward and faced Po. Shifu then picked up two bamboo sticks and tossed one to Monkey and Po. Monkey pulled off a skilful display with the bamboo stick before striking Po fast and hard. Po was unprepared for his attacks and kept getting hit. However, Po actually managed to block one of his attacks and seemed pleased with himself...until he got hit again and fell onto his back. "Had enough, panda?" Shifu asked. Po then raised his paws into the air and brought his fist to his paw once again. I couldn't help but smirk at his reluctancy to just give up. Shame Shifu did that feel the same way. Po's eagerness to get his ass kicked certainly seemed to piss Shifu off. Shifu released a growl before snapping his fingers and ordered us inside the hall. Next up for kicking the crap into Po was Crane. They were both ordered to fight on the jade tortoise. Crane reached the bowl with ease while Po struggled to climb it. After a comedic routine of getting Po up on the tortoise, they were both ready to fight. They gazed at one another before...Po fell into the bowl and began rolling around in it. Shifu's anger increased as he snapped his fingers again. Next up to face Po was me. I certainly wasn't keen as inflicting pain on the guy so I decided to hold back on striking him. But even then, Po still managed to lose and find himself on his back. And from there on, Shifu called us one by one to fight Po. And every single time, he lost but wouldn't give up. This guy was certainly something. It was now sunset and Mantis was finishing up his fighting session with Po. Shifu smiled as he saw Po flat on his back, tired and wounded. However, Po managed to bring his fist into his paw. That is where Shiu finally drew the line.

"I've been taking it easy on you, panda, but no more! Your next opponent... will be me." Shifu said.

"Alright! Yeah, let's go!" Po said excitedly. We and the guys shared worried glances, knowing full well that Shifu was going to destroy him.

"Step forth." Shifu said. But before Po could even finish his first step, Shifu whirled him around with no effort and and threw him to the ground and pinned his arm behind him. "The true path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness and make him suffer for it." Shifu spoke coldly.

"Oh ho, yeah!" Po said in delight but also in pain. Shifu then began to throw him around again.

"To take his strength and use it against him." Shifu then started to kick Po repeatedly in the face. He then threw him to the floor again, and gripped Po by the nostrils. "Until he finally falls, or quits."

"But a real warrior never quits. Don't worry, Master, I will never quit!" Po spoke nasally. At this point, Shifu had finally snapped. He flung Po into the air and then leapt at him with a flying kick. Po crashed out of the doors leading to the courtyard and began to tumbling down the steps. Me and the guys then headed over to the doors and watched him fall down the steps.

"If he's smart, he won't come back up those steps." Tigress said.

"But he will." Monkey said. Tigress then turned and headed into the training hall.

"He's not gonna quit, is he?" Viper asked.

"He's not gonna quit bouncin', I'll tell ya that." Mantis joked. As he began to chuckle Viper released a stern hiss silencing him. As Crane and Monkey headed into the training hall, I still stood there with Mantis and Viper. I sighed as Po continued to fall down the steps yell in pain.

"We should go down and help him." I said.

"You're right. We'll take him to the bunkhouse and heal his wounds." Viper said. As we began to both descend the stairs, Mantis leapt onto my shoulder.

"Hey, maybe I can help." He said.

"Oh, yeah? How? By insulting him more?" I asked raising a brow. Mantis then scratched his head.

"Yeah, okay, maybe we've been a little hard on him. And I guess he's an alright guy. He's tough as hell too. Took on everyone of us and was still standing."

"Yeah, deja-vu." I said recollecting the the day when I got the same treatment the second day I was at the Jade Palace.

"So how exactly are you going to help?" Viper asked Mantis.

"With my acupuncture skills of course!"

"Oh no! Not a chance." I said shaking my head.

"What? Why not?" He asked.

"Why not? Because last time you displayed your 'acupuncture skills' you put Crane in a coma-like state for three days." Viper said.

"Yeah...but he was alright afterwards, wasn't he?"

"Aside from him slurring his words and the occasional muscle spasm for a week, yeah." I said.

"Alright, alright! I was bad the first time, but I've got practice since then. Trust me." Mantis assured. Despite how reluctant both Viper and I felt about letting Mantis perform acupuncture on Po, we decided to go along with it. If Shifu throwing down the steps didn't kill Po, Mantis jabbing with acupuncture needles will. We finally reached the bottom of the steps and saw Po lying there, groaning. I jumped down the last few steps and wrapped my arm under his and propped him to his feet.

"You okay?" I asked.

"What? Pfft, of course! I'm ready to go again...I..." He said unconvincingly before he hissed in pain and held in head.

"Alright, that's enough training for you today. We're gonna get you to the bunkhouse." Viper said.

"Huh? But I'm totally ready for more!" Po complained.

"You need to take a rest. You're in pretty bad shape, so let us help you out." I said. He sighed.

"Alright..." He said. So we lead Po back to the bunkhouses and Mantis fetched his acupuncture set with Viper. I brought Po into my room to rest while we waited for Viper and Mantis to return. I figured now wasn't a bad time to get to know Po better. I took a seat next to him and rested my head against the wall.

"So, Po, how come I've never seen you down in the Valley?" I asked.

"Well I spend most of the time helping my dad in his noodle shop. We get a lot of customers so I usually gotta help out all day. He makes some awesome noodle soup and he's the only one who knows the secret ingredient to the soup. Seriously, you gotta try it sometime. It's soooo good." He said as his mouth salivated. I couldn't help but chuckle at his expression.

"I'll be sure to try it sometime. Your dads shop, is it called Mr Pings noodle shop by any chance?" He nodded.

"That's the one! So you've heard of it before?"

"Yeah. A friend of my showed me around the Valley one time and pointed it out to me. So that's where you spent most of your days?" Po sighed as he leaned back against the wall.

"Yeah. It's like super boring sometimes. The same stuff day by day and I just can't stand it."

"Well you certainly got a change of pace yesterday, dropping in and becoming the Dragon Warrior. How did you drop the sky anyway?" Po then scratched his head sheepishly.

"Well...I kinda...put fireworks on a chair and...launched myself into the air and well...you can guess the rest." I stared at Po bemused...before laughing out loud. Oh Jesus, that's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. He tried to perfect space travel and failed. So enough, Po himself began to chuckle. "I guess...that is pretty funny." He then laughed harder along with me before we slowly quietened down. I then gave Po a nudge to his arm.

"You know, you're an alright guy, Po. You might just fit in alright."

"You think so? You seem to like me but the others..." He trailed off.

"Like I said, they're just a little pissed off with the whole Dragon Warrior thing. But, I think they're beginning to like you." Po looked rather confused.

"They...are?" I nodded.

"I believe so. Just you wait, I'm sure things might work out for you here, if you really try." He then smiled.

"Thanks, Mast...Ben." I patted him on the back. So we conversed for sometime before Mantis and Viper finally turned up. Looks like Doctor Mantis is ready to perform the operation. So one by one, each needle that Mantis stuck into Po earned a hell of pain out of him. I don't blame him. I'm not particularly fond of the thought of needles or syringes being put into me. The very thought just makes me shudder. So after some time, everyone except Tigress had returned to their rooms while Mantis continued to jabbed Po with needles. "Aaaoo...whoohoo...EEEee...hee— hee... OW! I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel better!"

"Trust me, it will. It's just not easy finding the right nerve points under all this-"

"Fat?"

"Fur, I was going to say fur." Mantis said removing a needle and placing it somewhere else.

"Sure you were." Po said unconvinced.

"Who am I to judge a warrior based on his size? I mean... look at me." Po then gazed over his shoulder and searched for Mantis.

"I'm over here." Mantis said standing on his other shoulder and jabbed another needle into Po.

"Ah-HAH!" Po yelled.

"Maybe you should take a look at this again." Viper suggested holding up a diagram of acupuncture meridians. Mantis then began to look at the diagram. I couldn't help but make a joke.

"It's made especially for you Mantis. No words with more than one syllable and just pictures." I joked. This earned a chuckle out of Viper and an annoyed expression from Mantis.

"Very funny. How about I take a needle and shove it up your-"

"Mantis!" Viper scolded. Mantis then groaned in annoyance before returning to the job. He gazed at the diagram before continuing the acupuncture. At this point I stood up and stretched. Sitting down that long gave me a bit of a cramp so I decided to lean next to my door to relieve it.

"Ow! Don't!" Po laughed as another needle to put into him. "Stop it, stop... YOW!" He cried out. I knew Mantis was gonna kill him. Was there any doubt? "I know Master Shifu's trying to inspire me and all, but if I didn't know any better... I'd say he was trying to get rid of me." Po then began to chuckled as Viper and Mantis shared a glance while I raised a brow confused. Did Po really not catch on that Shifu WAS trying to get rid of him? Noticing Mantis's and Vipers expression, Po's laughter died down.

"I know he can seem kind of heartless..." Mantis said jabbing another needle into Po.

"Ah!" Po exclaimed.

"But, you know, he wasn't always like that." Mantis continued.

"According to legend, there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to smile." Viper said. Master Shifu actually smiled? No way.

"No..." Po uttered.

"But that was before..." Viper trailed off. I leaned in interested in hearing the story.

"Before what?" Po asked. But before Viper could continue the story, my door burst open and Tigress stepped in.

"Before Tai Lung." Tigress said. Tai Lung? Who's that? Before I could question who it was, I saw Crane's silhouette shuffle next door.

"Uh yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him." Crane said.

"Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know."

"Guys, guys. I know about Tai Lung. He was a student, the first ever to master the thousand...scrolls of... kung fu..." Po began before trailing off due to Tigress approaching and stared at him with a piercing glare. "and... then he turned bad... and... now he's in jail..."

"He wasn't just a student. Shifu found him as a cub. And he raised him as his son." Shifu had a son? Damn, I didn't know this. And this is the first time I've heard of this 'Tai Lung' guy. I listened closer, interested in listening to the story. "and when the boy showed talent in kung fu...Shifu trained him." At this point, both Crane and Monkey had opened the paper wall separating my room and Cranes slightly and they both listened in. "It was never enough for Tai Lung. He wanted the Dragon Scroll. But Oogway saw darkness in his heart and refused. Outraged, Tai Lung laid waste to the Valley. He tried to take the scroll by force. And Shifu had to destroy what he had created. But how could he? Shifu loved Tai Lung like he'd never loved anyone before..." As Tigress trailed off, her expression turned to sadness. "...or since." There was a moment of silence before Tigress resumed her gravity. "And now he has a chance to make things right, to train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with you... a big, fat panda who treats it like a joke." Po seemed rather hurt by her words...until he pulled off a goofy face.

"DOIEEE!" He said stupidly.

"Oh, that's it!" Tigress snapped. She drew her claws and was ready to strike Po. Before she could, I grabbed her arm and stopped her as Mantis leapt onto Po's head.

"Wait! My fault! I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve." He exclaimed. Po then fell face first to the floor, revealing that his back is covered with needles. "And may have also stopped his heart." Tigress growled and pulled herself from my grasped. He stormed out of the room, opened the door to here and shut it behind her. I sighed and turned my attention back to Po. I noticed Mantis poking his face. "Hey, Po, you okay?" He asked. In response, a string of salvia drooled from his mouth and onto the ground.

"Good job, Mantis. You killed him." I said.

"No I didn't, he'll be fine...but just to be safe grab a shovel and find a place to bury him." Mantis said as he began to pull out the needles from Po's back. I gazed back over to Tigress's room.

"Go talk to her." I heard Viper say. I nodded and left my room while closing the door behind me. I gently knocked on Tigress's door and got an immediate response.

"What!?" I heard asked with a raised tone.

"It's me. Can I come in?" I asked. I then heard her sigh.

"Fine..." I then opened her door and saw her sitting on her bed staring at the ground. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before taking a seat next to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"How I'm I feeling? Twenty years of training and the only opportunity that I had to make my father proud of me is lost to that panda. Everything I've done...has gone to waste. I'm left with nothing, but the feeling of emptiness. And you asks me how I'm feeling?" She said raising her gaze to mine. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I understand. You were dealt a shitty hand and have every right to be angry. But you can give up. You've worked too hard to appease Shifu. Perhaps there's another way to appeal to him."

"How? His affection left him when he lost Tai Lung. He has no interest in treating me as his daughter. It's over."

"You mentioned Tai Lung in my room. How come I never heard of him before?"

"It is has Crane said. We're not suppose to talk about him."

"Because of what he did?" She nodded. "And he was Shifu's adopted son?"

"Yes. And Shifu had hoped to train him as the Dragon Warrior. But it never came to pass. And I had hoped that I would earn the title to earn my fathers love."

"Like I said, you can't give up. Have you ever tried...talking to Shifu? Telling him how you feel."

"I...can't. I'm afraid that he'll reject me. I just can't." She said staring at the ground shamefully.

"I don't know what to say, Ti. Except...I'm here for you. I want you to know that. You may say you feel empty or alone, but remember that you have a friend who cares for you and wants help." She slowly raised her head from the ground and gazed at me with a bemused expression before smiling weakly.

"I...I don't know what...thank you, Ben." I smiled a patted her back.

"You're welcome. Now, how about you and I play a game of checkers before dinner?" She nodded

"That's sounds good."


	32. Chapter 32

_Chapter 32: when it all went south_

So after a peaceful game of checkers with Tigress, she seemed to have calmed down after losing her temper cheered up a little. After Po had recovered from Mantis acupuncture, he offered to make us dinner. And it would seem the others were starting to warm up to him. He was making us some noodle soup while he told us a story about a wolf that came to his dads shop and had a bit of an attitude.

" ...So I'm like, fine, you may be a wolf, you may be the scariest bandit in Haijin Province...but you're a lousy tipper." Po said.

"Really? So... how'd you get out of there alive?" Crane asked in a incredulous manner.

"I mean, I didn't actually say that, but I thought it... in... in my mind." Po said as he flipped some bowls and lined them up on his arm. He then ladled soup into them. "If he... could read my mind, he'd have been like, 'What?' Order up!" Po said as he slid a bowl of noodle soup across the table to each of us besides Tigress, who already had her tofu cubes in front of her. "Hope you like it." We each took a sip from the bowl and...oh sweet Jesus this sooo good.

"This is really good!" Mantis said.

"No, c'mon. You should try my dad's secret ingredient soup. He actually... knows the secret ingredient." Po said bashfully.

"What are you talking about? This is amazing." Viper said.

"Wow, you're a really good cook." Crane added.

"I wish my mouth was bigger." Mantis said.

"This is delicious, Po." I drooled as I continued eating from the bowl.

"Tigress, you've got to try this." Monkey said. Tigress then lifted her plate and picked up a piece of tofu with her chopsticks.

"It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe."

"I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet. I'm gonna need a lot more than dew. And, uh, universe juice." Po said taking another sip from his bowl. When he lowered it, a string of noodle was stuck under his nose. I covered my mouth and snickered. "What?"

"Oh, nothing... Master Shifu" Mantis joked. The rest of us began to chuckle as Po realised what Mantis meant. He then grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started to pretend he was Shifu.

"You will never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth!" Po spoke trying to imitate Shifu voice. Soon our chuckles turned into laughter as Po continued. "What is that noise you're making? Laughter? I never heard of it! Work hard, Panda. And maybe, someday..." He then picked up two plates and held them behind his head, making them look like ears. "... you will have ears like mine!" At this point we were all in a fit of laughter before it ceased. Standing there, behind Po, was Master Shifu, looking pretty pissed off and seemed to be holding Oogways staff. "Ears. It's not working for you? I thought they were pretty good."

"It's Shifu!" Monkey whispered aloud.

"Of course it's Shifu. What do you think I'm doing?" Po asked unaware of Shifu's presence. Monkey points to which Po turns and finally see Shifu standing there. In mortification and shock, he brought the bowls that he held over his head to his chest. "Ooh! Master Shifu! I..." Po cut off as he slurped the noodle moustache off his face and lowered his arms. When he did, the bowls stuck to his chest like a bra. We all covered of mouths and tried to suppress our laughter.

"You think this is funny?! Tai Lung has escaped from prison and you're acting like children!" Shifu shouted.

"What?" Po questioned.

"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll, and you are the only one who can stop him!" Shifu said. We all went silent and allowed the news to sink in. I guy who I only learn about today has escaped prison? And he's comic here? Oh Jesus. After a short period of silence, Po laughed.

"And here I am saying you got no sense of humor. I'm gonna... stop Tai Lung..." Po trailed off has he noticed Shifu's expression remained serious. "What, you're serious? And I have to... uh... Master Oogway will stop him! He did it before, he'll do it again."

"Oogway cannot!" Shifu's expression seemed to soften slightly as he held Oogways staff. "Not anymore..." We all stared at him with shocked expressions. Master Oogway...was gone? No. No it couldn't be. Not Master Oogway. He turned my life around and helped so many others and now he was...gone. My heart felt heavy with sadness and it would seem the others felt the same way. "Our only hope... is the Dragon Warrior."

"The panda?" Tigress questioned.

"Yes, the panda!" Shifu exclaimed. Tigress pushed her chair back and stood up.

"Master, please! Let us stop Tai Lung, this is what you've trained us for!"

"No! It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung. It is his!" Shifu swung Oogways staff and pointed at Po. What the? Where the hell did Po go? He was there just a second ago and he just disappeared. "Where'd he go?" Shifu gazed around the room before he growled and sped out the door. We all then just say there processing everything that just happened. This Tai Lung guy has escaped prison and Master Oogway had passed away. Jesus...how could things go so wrong so fast? The others began to converse about Tai Lung and Oogway, Tigress rushed out of the kitchen. I had a feeling she was going to do something she'll regret She speed off and began to tail Shifu from afar. Despite how many times I called after her, she kept on running. And because she sprinted on on fours, she was much faster than me. I did manage to catch up with her. She lead me to the roof of the Hall of warriors. She climbed it with ease and I used my free running knowledge to follow her up. She leaned over the edge with her eyes fixed on something.

"Ti, what are you doing?" I asked joining her by her side. I gazed down only to see Po and Master Shifu talking near the stairs leading to the Valley.

"This is my chance, Ben. If I can stop Tai Lung, I might be able to win Shifu's affection." She said turning to me.

"You heard what Shifu said. He was Po's destiny, not yours. You'll get yourself killed I'd you go after Tai Lung."

"You told me not to give up. And that's exactly what I'm doing. This is the only way."

"No...there's gotta be another way...there has to."

"If there was, I would have tried it by now." She turned her gaze back towards Po and Shifu.

"If you go by yourself...you...I just don't want to see you hurt." I admitted. She turned back to me.

"If you don't believe that I can face him on my own, then come with me. We'll take him on...together." I was tempted to come with her and make sure no harm comes to her, but I still had faith in Oogway. I shook my head regrettable.

"I'm sorry. I can't. And you shouldn't be going either."

"My mind has been made up. If you will not join me, then I'll go on my own."

"Nothing I'm gonna say is gonna change your mind, is it?" She shook he head. I sighed. "Alright. If you think you can stop Tai Lung, then go for it. If Shifu asks where you are, I'll make something up."

"Thank you." As she was about to leave, I stopped her.

"Ti..." I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck...and stay safe. She smiled and nodded. She then faced me and threw herself into the air and off the roof. I watched in awe as I saw her descend through the air and headed towards the Valley. After soaring through the air for sometime, she disappeared from view. I smiled. She looked fricking awesome when she did that. I gazed down and noticed that Po and Shifu had vanished from site. I jumped off the roof and rolled on the ground before standing up straight. I guess there was nothing to do now besides get some sleep. I headed to bunkhouse with while I dwelled in thought. I thought about the events in the past two days. How could so much stuff happen within a small amount of time? Po arriving here, being chosen as the Dragon Warrior, Master Oogway passing away and now Tai Lung escaping prison. I then began to think about Tigress. God I hope she'll be okay. She's tough as hell but what I heard about Tai Lung...I don't know what might happen. Just please safe, Ti, please...I don't know what might happen of I lost my best friend. It felt strange saying it like that. Best friend...heh. I then felt a twinge of guilt realising that I just left Tigress to fend for herself. Did I make the right choice staying here? I guess time will tell. I finally reached the bunkhouse and stepped inside. It was quiet and it seemed no one else was here. I entered my room and shut my door behind me. I sighed and dragged my hand across my face before sitting down on my bed. Iain down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I slowly closed my eyes a prayed that my best friend would be okay.


	33. Chapter 33

_Chapter 33: there are no accidents_

I opened my eyes and yawned as the sight of the ceiling came into view. I rubbed my eyes and put on my vest. I stood by my door and waited by my door. I wasn't sure what to expect today. All I know is that I had to cover for Tigress and not prop suspicion from Shifu or the others. All I can do now is just continue training and wait for Tigress to return. I stood by the door for sometime until the morning gong wrong. I rushed out of my room and stood to attention.

"Good morning...Master?" I greeted with a confused expression. I gazed down the hall and noticed neither Shifu or the rest of the guys were there. I craned my head the the left and saw Po was absent too. What the hells going on? Did I wake up earlier than usual? No I couldn't have. I always wake up at the same time. I walked down the hall and opened the door each door only to find no one was inside. Now I was really getting confused. Where was everyone? I left the bunkhouse and stepped outside to the morning sun. There was a nice warm sensation coming from it. I headed down the steps that were now leading me to the Hall of Warriors. When I reached it, I pondered if I should head to the training hall or the kitchen. The guys could be having breakfast right now or I missed it and they're in the training hall. I stood there for a while only to be interrupted by the sound of someone yelling. I got curious and began to follow where the noise was coming from to which it leading me towards the kitchen as I followed to path, I noticed the noise had attracted someone else's attention. It was Master Shifu, who was ahead of me heading to the kitchen as well. I began to catch up with him and he turned to see me joining him by his side. I was about to ask about all the noise until I noticed he seemed to have a rather tired and blank expression. "Master Shifu, are you alright?" I asked. He sighed.

"Far from alright, I'm afraid. My mind is clouded with confusion and despair. I have lost my Master and I'm burdened with task to try and train the panda. And I don't know how..." He spoke sorrowfully. I believe this is the first time I've ever seen him without a serious or harsh attitude. I mean yesterday he was trying all day to get rid of Po but now it seems he's trying to help him. But it also seems he's on the verge of giving up.

"You can't give up, Master Shifu. Master Oogway believed that Po was the Dragon Warrior and you believe it's his destiny to defeat Tai Lung. Something will come up, I just know it." He sighed once again and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"That's all I can hope." As he finished his sentence, more noise began to erupt from the kitchen. "What's making the racket?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. That's why I came here to find out."

"Then lets find out." He said. I nodded and we both into the kitchen. We both peeked inside where we all sit to eat to find it empty. We headed down the hall and then peeked inside the storeroom only to see Po punching through a cupboard, pulling out food and began stuffing his face. He turned towards us and stop mid-crunch as he saw us. Both Shifu and I then began to survey the room. There was locks broken, drawers open and cabinets with door hanging off their hinges. Jesus, Po made some mess in here. What the hell was he doing in here? Our attention was brought back to Po as he released a belch.

"What? I eat when I'm upset, okay?" Po said with his mouth full. At his words, Shifu seemed to get an idea.

"Oh, no need to explain. I just thought you might be Monkey... he hides his almond cookies on the top shelf." He said as he began to calmly leave the room and I followed. He then gestured me to hide behind one side of the door while he hid behind the other. I did as he asked but was confused. Before I could question it, there was loud thuds and clanks coming from in the room. We both rushed back inside only to witness Po perched up on the high shelves, jamming cookies from Monkey's jar into his mouth while he was performing a perfect split. Holy crap. While he continued to eat cookies his gaze was set upon us and his eating ceased.

"Don't tell Monkey." Po begged with his mouth full. Shifu and I then stepped into the room.

"Look at you..." Shifu said with an amazed expression.

"Yeah, I know. I disgust you."

"No no, I mean... how did you get up there?"

" I don't know. I guess I— I don't know. I was getting a cookie..." Po stop speaking as he shoved another cookie into his mouth.

"You were just getting a cookie? Po, you're ten feet in the air! And you're doing the splits!" I said still not sure I was seeing this right.

"No, this... this is just an-" Po's eyes widened as he began to slip. "accident." Po then slipped of the shelves and hit the ground hard. A cookie then rolled over to Shifu and he picked it up.

"There are no accidents. Both of you, come with me." Shifu ordered as he left the room. "And bring supplies!" He called back to us. Po and I shared a confused glance before we started grabbed some supplies. For what, I have no idea. After gathering some supplies, we hurried out of the kitchen and eventually caught up with Shifu. He lead us into the mountains, far from the palace. The path we took suggested that we were on our way to The Pool of Sacred Tears. But why? I walked calmly and in thought, same as Shifu and Po was breathing hard and making a lot of noise with his backpack.

"I know you're trying to be all mystical and kung fu-ey... but could you at least tell me where we're going?" Po asked panting. Shifu did not give a response and instead continued walking ahead of us. We eventually caught up with him and noticed that he was sitting down on a rock in front of a still pool. The was morning most that partially obscured the surrounding area. I turned to see Po stagger towards us, wheezing and winded. He collapsed next to Shifu and threw the backpack off his back. He then crawled towards the pool with an expression of disbelief. "You... dragged me... all the way out here... for a bath?!" Po exclaimed as continued to pant. He sighed and began washing his armpits with the water. I grunted, brought my hand to my forehead and shook my head. Please tell me Po isn't washing his pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears.

"Panda, we do not wash our pits in The Pool of Sacred Tears." Shifu spook. Po then immediately stopped as he realised where he was.

"The pool of..." Po said in awe. Shifu jumped off the rock he was sitting on and the mist began to disperse.

"This is where Oogway unravelled the mysteries of harmony and focus. This is the birthplace... of Kung Fu." Shifu said. Wait, this is where Kung Fun born!? Holy crap! I've been here a few times and I was never told that. Wow, this...this is amazing! It would seem Po shared my amazement as he brought a paw to his chest and had an expression of awe and disbelief. With the mist dispersed and the sun shinny down, it revealed the ground which was shaped like a Yin Yang. Shifu leapt into the air and landed on the a tall rock that was in the centre of the Yin Yang. "Do you want to learn Kung Fu?" Shifu asked Po.

"Yeah..." Po replied awestruck.

"Then I am... your... master!"

"Okay!" Po then sniffed and I noticed tears of joy began to form. I smiled and patted his back playfully.

"Don't cry." Shifu said.

"Okay.." Po sniffed. He wiped his nose and smiled. So after declaring to be Po's master, Shifu lead us to a field to begin Po's training. I stood by Shifu while Po faced us. Po had an expression of joy plastered on his face.

"When you focus on kung fu... when you concentrate...you stink." Shifu said bluntly. Po's expression then fell, much to my amusement. "But perhaps that is my fault. I cannot train you the way I have trained the Six. I now see that the way to get through to you... is with this." He then pulled out a bowl of dumplings in front of Po.

"Oh great, 'cause I am hungry." Po said reaching for the bowl. However, before he could get himself a dumpling, Shifu chuckled and pulled it out of his reach.

"Good. When you have been trained, you may eat." Shifu said. Po scowled as Shifu ate a dumpling and offered me one. I took one out of the bowl and smirked, realising what exactly Shifu was planning. "Let us begin." And we did. For the next three days, Shifu and I began training Po using food as a motivational tool. As you could imagine, with food on the line, Po trained his ass off. And my god, he was doing unbelievably well. Seriously, what took me months to master, took him less than thirty minutes. Shifu was equally astounded by his progress. And now on the final day of training, we were in the field, beneath a tree and Shifu set a bowl of dumplings and two empty bowls on a boulder. He sat in front of the boulder and picked up a pair of chopsticks. "After you, panda." Po, who was on the other side of the boulder, acted suspicious.

"That's it? No situps? N-no... no ten mile hikes?" Po asked.

"I vowed to train you... and you have been trained. You are free to eat." Po still remained suspicious as he sat down. He cautiously picked up a pair of chopsticks and grabbed a dumpling.

"Enjoy." Shifu said. Feeling like Shifu was actually allowing him to eat, Po smiled and started to bring the dumpling to his mouth. Before he could eat it, Shifu snatched it from his chopsticks and ate it.

"Hey!" Po exclaimed. I then smiled as scene continued between them.

"I said you are free to eat. Have a dumpling." Po reached for another dumpling. When he did, Shifu leapt across the table and kicked the dumpling into the air.

"Hey!" Po exclaimed once again. Shifu then ate his dumpling and Po scowled. The two then glared at one another. Time to get some popcorn.

"You are free...to eat!" Shifu said still glaring at Po.

"Am I?!" Po asked raising his voice.

"Are you?!" Shifu asked mimicking in tone.

"Is he!?" I added. Po and Shifu readied their chopsticks. Po slammed the bolder and sent the bowl of dumplings flying into the air. Shifu jumped up after them and ate all of them except one. Po leapt into the air and tried to grab it with his mouth. Before he could bite down on it, Shifu snatched it and held it his his chopsticks. And when Shifu tried to eat it, Po pulled it from his chopsticks using his own which caused the dumpling to land in an empty bowl. Back and forth, Po and Shifu spared using their chopsticks and tried to get the dumpling. Shifu then hid it underneath one of the bowls that was on the bolder. He then flipped the two tother bowls and began moving them around at an unbelievable speed. Po kept his eyes fixed on the right one util he stopped it using his chopsticks. he turned it over and continued fighting for it. The dumpling was sent flying into the air and Po jumped to reach for it. The dumpling was then impailed by one Shifu's chopsticks, which sent it flying into the tree branch. They began battling under tree and awaited for it to fall. As the two went back and forth for a while, the dumpling eventually came into Po's chopsticks. He held it up up triumphantly and turned his gaze back to us. Both Shifu and I smiled at his victory. Shifu then gestured for him to eat. However, Po threw the dumpling to Shifu. He caught it and gazed at Po.

"I'm not hungry." Po smiled. Shifu responded with a smile of his own. I then quickly snatched the dumpling from Shifus grasped. I threw it into my mouth and began to chew. The two then gazed at me. I shrugged.

"What? Just cause you're not hungry, doesn't mean I'm not." I said defensively. They both then chucked inwardly.

"Come. Let us return to the Palace." Shifu said.


	34. Chapter 34

_Chapter 34: farewell...master_

So Shifu, Po and myself started to return to the Jade Palace after a long day of training. We were heading to the training hall to check up on the rest of the guys. Can't wait to see their faces when we show them what Po has learned in a matter of three days. As I thought about my friends on the way to the training hall, my thoughts soon shifted to Tigress. I wondered of she might have come back by now. I wondered if she was alright. I guess I'll find out once I'm inside the hall. The three of us finally reached the training hall and we stepped into the courtyard.

"You have done well, Panda." Shifu said.

"Done well? Done well?! I've done awesome!" Po exclaimed as he swung his belly straight into Shifu. This nearly threw him off balance by he managed to steady himself.

"The mark of a true hero is humility. But yes...you have done..." Shifu paused as he playfully punched Po in the belly which caused him to stagger him "...awesome." The three of us laughed until it died down. We all turned to hear a strange noise and a figure approaching us from the clouds.

"The hell...?" I questioned as the figure drew nearer. Soon enough the figure came into view and revealed itself to be Crane. He rushed the courtyard and he was carrying...oh my god. We gasped as he dropped our friends in the courtyard. They were all scattered on the ground and seemed to be in an immobilised state.

"Guys? Guys!" Po shouted as he threw his backpack aside and ran over to them."They're dead?! No, they're breathing! They're asleep?! No, their eyes are open..." I ran over to to Crane and helped him up. I noticed he was exhausted and his feathers were ruffled.

"Crane, are you alright? What happened?" I asked.

"We went after...Tai Lung. But we were no match...for his nerve attack." He replied panting.

"He has gotten stronger..." Shifu said as he pressed some pressure points on Mantis's chest and freed him from his state.

"Who? Tai Lung? Stronger?" Po asked. Shifu then rushed over the Monkey and began freeing him from the state. When he did, Monkey lashed out and punched Po in the face.

"He's too fast!" Monkey shouted. He looked around and realises where he is and what he's done. "Sorry, Po." As I watched my friends being freed from their state, I turned and gasped. I then quickly rushed to Tigress's side along with Shifu. He pressed down on he pressure points and freed her from her state. She released a gasp upon release.

"I thought we could stop him..." She said shamefully. I took her paw and helped her to her feet.

"He could have killed you." Shifu said as he began helping Viper.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis asked.

"Most likely so you could come back here and strike fear in our hearts. But it won't work!" Shifu said as he freed Viper.

"Uh, it might... I mean, a little. I'm pretty scared." Po said with a frightened expression.

"You can defeat him, panda!" Shifu encouraged.

"Are you kidding? If they can't...they're five masters. I'm just one me."

"But you will have the one thing that no one else does." Po's eyes widened.

"You mean...?" Shifu nodded.

"It is time." And at the final words we started to head to the Hall of Warriors. The others began to converse about what was happening while Tigress and fell behind. While the guys seemed pretty best up, they still managed to walk fine. Tigress looked like she got the worst of it. She was holding her side in pain and had a slight limp. Seeing her so hurt made me finally draw the line. I matched her speed, took her arm and placed it around my shoulder. She gazed at her arm before looking at me.

"You don't need to help me. I'm...fine..." She tried to protest but failed as she hissed in pain.

"Yeah, and I take it you're holding your side from laughing too hard, right?" She merely rolled her eyes. I then sighed. "I should have come with you. I could have stopped you from getting hurt."

"We would still come out with the same result. He was just too strong."

"Maybe...but Jesus, look at you. We may have come out with the same result...but I...I could have-" she raised a paw and silenced me.

"Listen to me. This is my fault, not yours. I had convinced myself that I could face him. I shouldn't have been so arrogant."

"You were just trying to hear him so you could my Shifu proud." She lowered her head.

"And I failed..."

"There'll be another way, you'll see. At least we can put this whole thing behind us for now. I'm just...glad you're safe." I said with a smile. She raised her head and met my gaze. She then released a smile of her own.

"Thank you. Now, we should hurry and catch up with the others." I nodded in agreement and began picking up the pace. We eventually caught up with the rest of them. When we entered the hall, Tigress removed her arm from my shoulder and insisted she could take it from here. We proceeded into the hall and face the dragon statue.

"You really... believe I'm ready?" Po asked Shifu.

"You are... Po." Shifu replied. Po smiled as they shared a glance. Shifu then turned and headed towards a small shrine we had built for Oogway. There was a portrait of him performing his Tai Chi beneath the peach tree. The portrait was surrounded by candles and his staff that was on a rack in front of it. Shifu took the took and headed over to the reflecting pool. Then Shifu whirled the staff. The peach blossom petals that were in the reflecting pool, rose in a flickering, spinning cloud. The gentle tornado rose up around the Dragon statue that helds the Dragon Scroll. The petals loosened the scroll from the dragon's mouth and it fells. Before it could land in the reflecting pool, Shifu reached out with the staff and caught the scroll on the end of it. He turned to Po, holding it out. "Behold. The Dragon Scroll... It is yours." Po then reached for it, but hesitated.

"Wait... what happens when I read it?" He asked.

"No one knows, but legend says you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing-beat."

"Whoa! Really? That's cool."

"Yes. And see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you." Po then got a bit overexcited.

"Wow! Can I punch through walls? Can I do a quadruple back flip? Will I have invisibility-"

"Focus...focus." Shifu said bringing Po out of his...what ever the hell that was.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... yeah."

"Read it, Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become... the Dragon Warrior!"

"Whooaa!" Po took the scroll. Then he grasped the tube and tries to pull the top off it...and it doesn't budge. He then started to strain at it. "It's impossible to open." He strains again and finally resorts to using his teeth to try and pry it open."Come on baby. Come on now..." Shifu held out his paw. Po passed him the scroll and Shifu popped the end off effortlessly and passes it back to Po. "Thank you. I probably loosened it up for you though... Okay, here goes." Po then began opening the scroll slowly. When it was halfway open, a day of golden light emitted from it. And when it was completely open, Po— "Ahhhhhhhh!" Po exclaimed. At his outburst, we were all startled, even Shifu. "It's blank!" It was...what!? All this build up and the frickin thing was blank!?

"What!?" Shfiu exclaimed.

"Here! Look!" Po tried to show him the scroll, but Shifu covered his eyes and refused to look at it.

"No! I am forbidden to look upon..." Shfiu paused mid-sentence as snatched the scroll from Po's paws. He turned it around, then upside down. He closed it and opened it again. "Blank? I don't...I don't understand."

"Okay. So like, Oogway... was just a crazy old turtle after all?" Po asked.

"No. Oogway was wiser than us all." Shifu replied as he stepped towards the reflecting pool.

"Oh, come on! Face it. He picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding?" Po said dejected.

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" Tigress asked.

"He'll destroy everything... and everyone." Crane said. We all looked to our master and waited for an answer. He was staring down at the reflecting pool. He then put the scroll back into its case and turned to us.

"No." He spoke calmly as he handed Po the scroll. "Evacuate the Valley. You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage."

"What about you master?" Tigress asked.

"I will fight him." Po stared at Shifu.

"What?"

"I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape."

"But Shifu... he'll kill you."

"Then I will finally have paid for my mistake." we all stared at him in devastation. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master." He bowed to us and we have one in return. We all then reluctantly began to leave, except for Po, who still stood there heartbroken. Crane and I joined his side and began to pull him away.

"Come on, buddy..." I whispered as Crane and I both dragged him away. As we were about to exit the hall, I gazed over my shoulder and stared at Shifu one last time before leaving. When we reached the Valley we got word out that Tai Lung was on his way here and people didn't hesitant to pack up and leave. So many families were abandoning their home and it was just heartbreaking knowing we couldn't do anything but help guard them. An hour or so past and the sun had set. As I finished up helping a family of bunnies pack up, I was approached by Kai and Jian. I smiled and headed over to them.

"Hey, Ben." Kai greeted. I put my arms around the two and pulled them in for a hug.

"Hey, guys. It's good to see that you're feeling better, Jian." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Kai and he wrapped his around her.

"More than better actually." She said. I raised a brow confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...when I was at the doctor, he did some tests on me...and well...turns our I'm pregnant." My eyes widened and I smiled.

"Seriously? Oh my god, congratulations guys!"

"Thanks." Jian smiled. My smile then faded and I sighed.

"At least there's some good news..." I said looking around and watching everyone fleeing their homes.

"Can't believe this is happening...fleeing our homes like ...it" target="_blank"this...it's awful." Kai said sighing.

"Yeah, I just wished...what the?" I paused as I peeked around Kai and Jian and they followed my gaze. Coming towards us, was Irish. He wore his usual attire but also had a flat black cap on his head. He was also carrying suitcases. When we arrived by our side, He set his suitcases down and scratched his head.

"I've just got back from me holidays and I find everyone is leavin'. What's going on?" Irish asked confused.

"Long story short; Tai Lung has escaped prison and is on his way here. We're evacuating the Valley before he arrives." I explained quickly. Irish stood idle for a while with a blank expression. He then picked up his suitcases.

"Ah well. Looks like another holiday fer me then." He said before leaving us. I rolled my eyes and soon found my gaze set upon Tigress, who was helping a family pack.

"I'll see you guys later. I'm gonna go talk to someone." I said.

"Alright. See you later, Ben." Jian said before leaving with Kai. I then headed towards Tigress as she had just finished up helping a family pack. She turned towards me and we stared at one another.

"Hey, Ti." I greeted.

"Hello." She greeted back.

"So, you wanna talk?" She sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. I then walked over to her and sat down next to her. "You heard him, Ti. He's proud of you. He always has been."

"I've waited so long to hear him say it. And yet...I feel empty." I sighed and leaned back.

"I know how you feel. God, where did everything go wrong?"

"You know, I had hoped after he said he was proud of me...that maybe...we would become closer and he might have...treated me as his...daughter." At her download words, she buried her head into her paw and sighed. Seeing my friend so upset started to make me sad too. I gazed down a noticed her paw resting on her lap. I slowly reached out and placed my hand over her paw and intertwined my fingers with hers. She pulled her other paw from her face and looked at my hand on her paw. Her gaze then turned to me. I smiled.

"It's gonna be okay, Ti. I'm for you." I whispered. She continued to stare at me before her eyes slowly closed and she rested her head against my shoulder. I then rested my head on hers and gently began to stroke her paw. We sat there for sometime and just leaned against one another. After a while, she pulled her paw away from my hand and stood up.

"Thank you...I'd...like to alone for a while." She said. I gave an understanding nod and then left me. I stood up and sighed. Everything that was happening right now felt like a dream. I mean days ago, we were all getting on with our usual routine and then...all this happened. I stood there for a while before deciding to find Po. I believe he said he was going to be at his fathers shop. Thankfully, I still could remember where it was so I had no trouble finding it. A walked for sometime before arriving at his fathers noodle shop. I saw that Po was outside it with a cart full of belongings and was facing a goose. Come to think of it, I believed I've seen that goose before. He was there when Po was pronounced as the Dragon Warrior. Perhaps he was an employee at his fathers shop. As I approached the two, I heard the two talking.

"...it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?" I heard Po say.

"Don't have to. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special." The goose said. Po seemed baffled at his words as he opened the scroll and stared at it. I finally reached the two and the goose turned. "Oh hello, can we help you?"

"I'm just here to talk to Po." I explained.

"Oh, you must be one of his Kung Fu friends." I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you...?"

"Mister Ping. I'm Po's father." Po's...father? But...oh, Po must be adopted. I didn't know that.

"A pleasure to meet you. Po said that you make some great noodle soup."

"Great? I make the best!" I chuckled.

"I'll have to try it sometime. I hope that-"

"There is no secret ingredient..." We heard Po said. We both turned to see him staring at us. He then turned his gaze at the Jade Palace steps before he rolled up the scroll and rushed towards the steps.

"Wait, Po! Where are you-" he ignored me as he started to climb the steps. I turned to Mister Ping. "We'll talk later. It was a pleasure to speak with you!" I shouted over my shoulder as I ran after Po.

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	35. Chapter 35

_Chapter 35: the prodigal son_ _returns...to_ _the Jade Palace_

I ran after Po and didn't take long to catch up with him.

"Po! Where are you going?" I asked. I turned to me waving the scroll around.

"There is no secret ingredient! I figure it out!" He replied in bliss.

"Ingredient..? What are talking about?" He opened the scroll and stood next me holding it out in front of me.

"What do you see?" He stared into the scroll and only saw my reflection.

"I see me." I said not quite sure what he was getting at.

"And that's it! There didn't need to be anything on this to help you. You just have to believe there is!" He explained. I stared back at the scroll before smirking. Oogway, you sly old tortoise.

"Damn, the answer was right in front of us and we didn't know."

"I know and I have to get to the Hall of Warriors and tell Shifu before Tai Lung gets here."

"Then lets go." We then continued to head up the steps as the sky was filled with dark clouds and lightning emitted from it. We were slowed down due to Po becoming out of breath literally at the first ten steps. I had to practically pull him all the way up. As we neared the top of the steps, I saw that the last few steps were cracked and a chunk of concrete was missing. I also noticed that instead of doors leading into the Hall of Warriors, there was a massive gaping hole. Inside there was artefacts and weaponry scattered across the ground as well as pieces from the ceiling. And I at the far end of the room, in front of the reflecting pool, was a snow leopard. His fur was gray, white, brown, and black. We was wearing no top and only had purple pants and brown sash. He had one paw raised and his claws were unsheathed. In his other paw was...oh shit! He was choking Shifu! I heard heavy breaths coming from behind me. I turned to see Pp finally reach the top. He gazed into the Hall and saw Shifu and, who I'm going guess is, Tai Lung.

"Hey!" Po shouted catching Tai Lungs attention. He turned towards us. Po couldn't continue speaking as he was out of breath.

"How the hell are you out of breath? I carried you up here!" I said confused.

"Yeah...but the thought...of walking...up...is making me tired." Po huffed trying to catch his breath. I rolled my eyes.

"Who are you?" Tai Lung asked.

"Buddy... I... am the Dragon Warrior!" Po replied as he released a heavy exhale. Tai Lung laughed.

"You?! Him," he pointed at me, "I could believe. But you?" He cast Shifu aside as he faced us. "You're a panda. What are you gonna do, big guy? Sit on me?"

"Actually, I think he might, so I'd shut up if I were you." I said.

"That's right and if you don't," pulled held out the Dragon scroll, "I might just have to use this. You want it? Come and get it. As quick as a flash, Tai Lug launched himself across the room and hit Po. As Po was propelled back, Tai Lung grabbed the scroll that was lost from Po's grasp and swung for me. I quickly ducked and before I could land a hit, Po came flying back and went straight into Tai Lung, was was sent flying into a column. I turned to Po who seemed amazed. I stood by his side and we both faced Tai Lung, who was now charging towards us, or Po to

Be more exact. Po then turned to run.

"Po, pass me the scroll!" I shouted. I then quickly threw the scroll at me and I caught it. Tai Lung dug his claws into the ground and halted himself. He turned to me and growled. I gritted my teeth and got into a defensive position. "Come get some, you shithead!" He released a roar as he leapt towards me. I rolled out of the way and planted my fist into the back of his head and planted it into the ground. "Po, catch!" I then threw him scroll. As he caught it, I felt Tai Lung's paw wrapped itself around my neck. He lifted me of the ground and I began to kick his head to try and break free. But it was no use. "Po...run!" I said feeling short of breath. Tai Lung turned his gaze to Po and saw that he had the scroll. Po then turned to run as Tai Lung planted me into the ground. He got on on fours and sprites after Po. I groaned as I felt an immense pain in my back. I rolled over and shook my head. I got to my feet and rushed to the top of he steps only to see Tai Lung and Po tumbling down them, fighting for the scroll. I wasted no time in following them. I rushed down the steps at an incredible speed. I ran past the arena and into the arena. I saw Po had crashed into a noodle cart and became covered in them. Tai Lung was running after the scroll on a rooftop. Before he could reach, Po used a string of noodle and lassoed it. As he pulled it towards himself, it bounced off his head and went straight over the roof of a building he was near. As Tai Lung was about to leap into the air, I tackled to the ground and pinned him down. I began smashing his face as hard as I could, until he kicked my abdomen and sent me flying over him. I went straight into a column. I hissed I pain as I saw he leap up once more, only to have Po grab his tail and pull him down. When he did, he pulled him onto one side of an empty cart, which caused Po, who was on the other side of it, to be sea-sawed into the air. He went straight over the roof and into bamboo trees. Tai Lung then launched himself into the air, as I recovered and ran after him. I sped around the corner and saw Po stumble out of the bamboo trees and seems to be using two bamboo sticks as stilts. He seemed to have stumbled onto a building that made woks, beaches there was a few dozen outside and he knocked down a few. I saw the scroll fall out of a lantern and rolled across the ground. As I went to picked it up, I was taken by surprise as Tai Lung landed right I front of me. He drew his claws and swiped my chest in my quick move. I yelled out loud as he punch me and sent me flying. When he tried to reach for the scroll, he was struck in the face by a wok. I locked eyes with Po and saw him sent a dozen more to his direction. They were all scattered on the ground and one was covering the scroll. Tai Lung pulled the wok from his face and looked at the scene before him. Po then used his stilts to spin the woks at an incredible speed.

"Lightning! Whooo!" Po exclaimed. Tai Lung performed a swift kick which caused all the woks to disperse and revealed the scroll. He tried to grab it but Po used his stilts to fend him off. I then pulled myself from the ground and yelled slightly. The bastard got me good. I headed towards the two as Po let to of the stilts and plummeted on Tai Lung which caused the scroll to fly out and head down the street.

"Hold him, Po! I'll get the scroll." I said as I began sprinting down the street as fast as I could. I gazed over my shoulder only to see Tai Lung coming towards me and...oh shit. Behind him, Po was on a firework cart and was headed towards us. I put a finger and thumb and the rims of my mouth and whistled loudly. "Taxi!" I called out. Po went straight into Tai Lung and I leapt onto the cart. Po then grabbed the scroll and I threw my arms up. "This is better than space mountain! Whoooo!" My eyes then widened as we neared the edge of a bridge. "Although space mountain is safer!" He hit the edge of the bridge and I was sent flying through the air and I landed on a roof while Po landed beside the building. The Dragon scroll then landed in a statue's mouth, which was next to me. I raised my head and saw Tai Lung coming towards us. "Po, get up here!" He shut his eyes and seemed to be thinking hard. He then gazed up at the scroll and began to salivate. He began to climb the building I got down and held out my hand. "Grab it, Po!" And in a matter of seconds he leapt up and-

"Nooooooo!" We heard Tai Lung shout. I then saw him coming at the building with his foot out. He struck it and the while building began to crumble. I pulled Po up after he kicked tiles into Tai Lungs face, but the building started to collapse. And at the last second, I placed my hands under Po and flung him into the air as I went down wiring he building.

"Ben!" I heard Po say while I fought for dear life as the building crumbled around me. I was then hit in the head by concrete and was left in a daze. My vision blurred but I could make out dust and concrete all around me. I coughed and started to free myself. I groaned as I held my chest and pulled myself out the rumble. I hit the ground and stared up at the sky. I groggily rolled over from my back and slowly raised my gaze to see a massive crater in the ground with Po and Tai Lung in it. I pushed against the ground and began to shuffle towards them slowly. Po was planted in the ground and Tai Lung had finally got his hands on the scroll. I tried to get to him as fast as I could, but I was just in so much pain. I saw him pry the scroll open and I started to hear what he was saying.

"...is...MINE!" Tai Lung said triumphantly while he opened the scroll and stared at it. His smile then began to fade as he turned it and pulled at it. "It's nothing!" He said confused as I reached Po's side. I wrapped his arm over my shoulder and helped him to his feet.

"It's okay. I didn't get it the first time either." Po said.

"What?" Tai Lung questioned in disbelief.

"There is no secret ingredient." Po explained. Angered, Tai Lung threw the scroll to the ground. Po and I then stared down at it and smiled at our reflections. "It's just you." He said as I put my arm around my friend and patted him playfully.

"So please, just stop this. There's no reason to keep fighting." I said trying to reason with him. I then looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Tai Lung." He raised his gaze from the scroll and met mine. It seemed at anger had faded and was replaced with calmness as he dwelled into thought. I felt hope built up inside him as it seems he was backing down. But all hope was lost as he snarled and backhanded me. I spun in the air and landed on the ground hard. I groaned as I raised my head and saw him strike Po's nerve point and sent him to the ground. Strangely enough, Po started to giggle. Tai Lung looked at his paw in confusion before trying again and again, only to get the same result.

"Stop! Stop it! I'm gonna pee! Don't! Don't!" Po begged. Frustrated, Tai lung punched Po's belly using two fists. The impact seemed to have sent ripples through Po's entire body and his arms came back and struck Tai Lung, sending him crashing back into he's dads noodle shop. I watched in awe at Po's new founded strength. Tai Lung came sprinting out of the crumbled wall and headed straight for Po. He then threw various attacks, to which Po blocked with ease, before stomping his toe. They then began to come out of the crater fighting. Tai Lung threw a kick and Po caught it, and slammed him onto the ground. He performed a front flip and landed on Tai Lungs back before grabbing his tail. He flung him into the air and tugged on his tail which brought him back. Po head-butted him and slammed him into the ground. Tai Lung tried to attack him but failed as Po moved his tail in directions which caused him to miss. Tai Lung then tried using his teeth and Po held up his tail and Oh Jesus! That's gotta hurt! He yelled in pain as Po pulled his tail and sent him flying down the street using his back. I watched as the snow leopard tumbled and rolled straight into another building.

"Spare!" I shouted. Po look at me confused. I folded my arms. "Fine, it was a strike." We turned our attention back to Tai Lung as he was sprinting down the street yelling. Po readied himself. Tai Lung lunched forward and Po threw out his belly torpedoed him into the air. Po and I stared up at the sky and waited for Tai Lung to come down. After a while, his screaming came into earshot and he fell from the sky and landed in front on Po, causing the ground the expel dust. I pulled myself from the ground and gazed into the crater. Inside, there was a comically outline of Tai Lung in the ground.

"You...can't defeat me.." Tai Lung said pulling himself from the ground panting. "You...you're just a big...fat...panda!" He swung weakly and Po caught his one of his fingers.

"I'm not a big fat panda..." Po began before pausing. "I'm THEE big fat panda!" Okay, that was pretty badass. Just give Po sunglasses and play the CSI theme in the background and the moment would be perfect. Po then raised his pinkie finger which seemed to frighten Tai Lung.

"The Wuxi Finger Hold!" The snow leopard said fearfully. The what hold? What...I think I've heard of that hold before...

"Oh, you know this hold?" Po asked.

"You're bluffing... you're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach you that!"

"Nope." Tai Lung then seemed hopeful. "I figured it out." Scratch that. Oh wait! I remember what the hold does...oh shit. Po flexed his pinkie. "Skadoosh!" I covered my eyes as I bright day of golden light emitted from the two. A massive ray of golden light rippled beyond the two and sent it all over the Valley. I covered my eyes and stumbled as the energy emitted started to blow me back. Finally I took my hand away from my face only to have dust cloud my vision.

"Po! Where are you, buddy?" I pushed through the dust and finally found him. And for some reason we had a wok on his head and on apron on him. "What are— never mind. You did it, buddy! You beat him!" I congratulated. He then stared at his paws before laughing.

"I...I did! Ah ha!" I then wrapped his arms around me and laughed. I yelled out in pain.

"Po, kinda still recovering from an ass beating." I reminded. He quickly dropped me.

"Oh sorry, sorry!" I patted his shoulder.

"It's alright. Come on, lets get out of the dusty weather." I looked around and couldn't see two feet in front of me.

"Okay, lets try this way." Po suggested. I nodded and limped alongside him while I held my bleeding chest. We pushed through the dust until we seems to come into a clearing. When we reached it, we found the whole Valley standing in front of us. We stood there silent as they stared at us...then they cheered. As they continued to cheer, I saw Po's dad emerge from the crowd.

"That's my boy! That big, lovely kung fu warrior is my son!" He said. The two then rushed to one another and hugged. I smiled.

"Thanks, Dad." Po whispered loudly. The wok that was on as on Po's head, fell off and rolled across the ground. He continued to roll until it was stopped by...Mantis. I then saw the rest of the guys. They all faced Po. "Hey, guys." Po greeted. Tigress then stepped forward. She brought a fist to her empty paw.

"Master." She said as she bowed along with the rest of the guys. She raised her head and smiled. Soon enough, the village bowed too.

"Master." The village chanted.

"Master?" Po said modestly before his eyes widened. "Master Shifu!" Po then left and faced towards the Jade Palace. The guys then turned and finally realised I was standing beside Po the whole time. They all gasped.

"Ben!" Tigress exclaimed as she rushed towards me and the others followed. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine...I just need to-" I hissed as I lost my balance. Tigress wrapped her arm around me and stopped me from hitting the ground.

"Fine, my ass." Mantis said.

"Come on, were getting you back to the Palace. We'll patch you up." Viper said.

"Alright...lets go." I said as I began to limp towards the palace. Before I could continue, I felt something grab my arm. I turned to see Tigress place my arm around her shoulder. "Thanks..." She smiled.

"No problem."

"So...what happened to Tai Lung?" Monkey asked. He soon got his answer as we neared the crater. We leaned over it and peeked in. Inside, Tai Lung was lying on his back with his eyes closed. His body was motionless and it didn't look like he was breathing. I sighed.

"Poor bastard..." I uttered.

"He had it coming." Tigress said.

"Maybe...I just can't help but feel sorry for him." We stared at him for sometime before I decided something needed to be said. "We should bury him. It at least deserves that much."

"I guess. We'll get on that. You get back to the Jade Palace and rest." Crane said. I nodded as Tigress began to help me walk to the Jade Palace as the rest of the guys sorted out burying Tai Lung.

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	36. Chapter 36

_Chapter 36: nurse Tigress_

With Tigress's help, I managed to reach the Jade Palace faster than I would have by myself. She was helping me to the bunkhouse so I could rest in my room. I pushed open the door to my room and Tigress eased me down on my bed. I groaned slightly, feeling a jolt of pain shoot through my body.

"How are feeling?" Tigress asked.

"I'm in pretty bad shape, but I think I'll be fine." I moaned. She placed a paw on my head and craned it slightly.

"Your forehead is bleeding. And your chest is too." She said placing another paw on my chest. I cried out in pain.

"That's not helping!"

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to hurt you. We're gonna have to clean and disinfect your wounds."

"That's gonna sting isn't it?" She nodded. I sighed. "Alright, lets go get the stuff we need." As I tried to stand up, Tigress placed her paws on my shoulder and sat me back down.

"You're not going anywhere. I'll get the necessary supplies. You need to rest."

"I can walk, don't worry." She placed a paw on my shoulder.

"Please, you're badly wounded and you need to take it easy. So let me help you." I saw her stare at me with begging eyes. I sighed and nodded.

"Fine."

"Thank you. I'll be back in a bit." She said before leaving my room. It was nice to see how much she cared for me. It felt...well it was hard to explain. It just was a feeling that made me feel warm inside. I liked it. I sat there smiling until I heard someone near my door. I turned to see the rest of the guys. Well all except Po.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey, Ben. How are feeling?" Viper asked joining me by my side worth he rest of them.

"I feel like shit."

"You look like shit." Mantis joked.

"Mantis!" Viper scolded.

"He's right. Jesus, look at me." Finally able to rest, I got a good look at myself. Various parts of my vest were ripped and three deep claw marks were on my chest. My waist wrap was hanging loose and my pants were also ripped. When I reached behind my head I found that my hood was ripped off.

"At least you're safe now. I guess fighting Tai Lung wasn't such a good idea, huh?" Crane asked.

"I was helping Po. I think I got the worst of it tough. Where is Po anyway?"

"He's with Master Shifu." Monkey replied.

"And how's Master Shifu?" I asked.

"He's fine. He was in bad shape, but he's gonna be okay." Viper replied. I sighed in relief.

"So...I guess that's it, huh?" I asked.

"I guess. Aside from half the Valley needing repair and the Hall of Warriors, yeah...that's it." Crane said with a smile. As I looked at my friends, who were smiling, I couldn't help but smile myself. Seeing all of them together and safe I just...ah screw it!

"Come here!" I laughed as I wrapped my arms around them all and pulled then into a hug. They were taken by surprise but then they too laughed before they leaned into hug. God I love these guys. After a while, the hug was broke.

"Enough of this emotional crap, lets go and celebrate!" Mantis shouted.

"Sounds like a plan. We going to Luc's?" Monkey asked.

"Yeah." Mantis said before turning to me. "You feeling well enough to join us?"

"No, sorry. But don't let me stop you guys."

"You sure? We could stay here and-" Crane suggested before I shook my head.

"It's alright. Go on, I'll be fine." I assured.

"Okay. See you later, buddy." Monkey said. I waved goodbye as they left the room. I sighed happily, laid down and waited for Tigress to return. After a while, I raised my head to see her enter my room. She had a small bowl filled with water and was carrying a vial filled liquid. She also had two rags on her shoulder and held bandages in her teeth. She knelt down next to me and placed the owl of water and vial on the ground. She put then pulled the bandages from her mouth and set it down as well. I sighed.

"Lets get this over with." I said as I removed my vest and pulled off my undershirt. I looked down at my body only to see that my chest and abdomen were covered in dry blood. "Jesus..." I uttered. I better get this cleaned up. As I reached for bowl of water, Tigress stopped me.

"I said you need to rest. I'll clean you up."

"Ti, I may be hurt, but I clean my own wounds."

"Maybe, but I want to help you." I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, nurse, work your magic." She smiled as she took one the rags from her shoulder. She dipped it into bowl and squeeze it. As she brought it to my chest, I hissed in pain. "You're magic hurts!"

"I'll try to as gentle on possible then." She said. And for the next five minutes, she washed the blood off me and clean the wound on my chest. The whole time she was cleaning me, it felt...well...to be honest, it was rather awkward. But...it felt...pretty good too. Is that wrong to say? It was the truth! Every time Tigress brushed the rag against my skin,? it felt nice. Don't judge me! After she finished cleaning the blood off me, she put the rag back into the bowl and removed the other rag from her shoulder and picked up the vial.

"What's in the vial?" I asked.

"Hydrogen peroxide." She replied as she pulled the top of the vial. Oh shit, here comes the fun part. She placed the rag on the vial and turned it upside so she could dampen the rag with the hydrogen peroxide. She turned to the right way and and put the vial on the ground while holding out the rag. "This will sting." She said. I released a heavy exhale and shut my eyes.

"Just do it." I said bracing for impact. Before she pressed the rag against my chest, I felt her her place a paw in my hand and have it a squeeze. I opened my eyes at stared at her. She then gave a comforting smile.

"It'll be over before you know it." She assured. I smiled and gave a nod. I gritted my teeth and readied myself. With her paw still in my hand, she used the other to pressed down on the wound on my chest. I cried out in pain and squeezed her paw tightly. Mary mother of god this hurts so much! She continued to press against my wound and I continued to cry out. Finally she pull the rag away and I placed it on the ground. I breathed heavy before staring at my chest. I saw the bubble like foam formed on my wound, no doubt the result of it trapping bacteria and germs. I released a sigh of relief before turning to Tigress.

"That frickin hurt." I said.

"At least it's over and done with." She said.

"Yeah, thank god for that." I smiled. She then released a smile of her own. We both just stared at one another with a smile on our faces before I realised that her paw was was still placed over my hand . And I think she noticed as well. We both pulled away and I released a nervous chuckle.

"I think it's time for the bandages, right?" I asked averting my gaze and scratching my head.

"That's right. Lets get them on you." She said as she picked up the bandages and began to unravel them. "Raise your arms, please." I did as she asked and she began wrapping the bandages around my chest. Neither one us spoke and we both found it hard to make eye contact. Yeah now it was just awkward. I don't get it, all she was doing was helping me, yet neither one of us could could speak or make eye contact. I noticed that my heart was beating quite fast too and a strange feeling was building up inside. A...nice feeling too. Tigress had finished wrapping the bandages around me and she seemed to have a pin to hold it all in place. She reached around my chest and placed the pin in the bandages. She then smiled and looked me over. "There. Feeling better?" I looked over myself and smiled.

"Yeah, thanks, Ti."

"No problem. Anything for my friend." While she was here, I figured I'd ask her a question relating to the conversation we had earlier.

"Ti, now that everything's gonna be alright...are you gonna talk to Shifu?" She raised a brow confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean now that you know he's proud of you, you think maybe you two could take that and...build up a more father daughter relationship." She seemed at little lost at my words. But she then sighed and took a seat next to me on my bed.

"What I'm I suppose to say?" She asked.

"Just tell him how you feel. And then take it from there." She looked at me with saddened eyes.

"And what if he rejects me?" I put my arm around her and gave her an encouraging smile.

"He won't. Believe me." I assured. Her face looked like it was building up determination. But it was extinguished as she looked away.

"I can't..." She whispered shamefully. For months she told me how much she wanted to earn her fathers love. But she could never face and tell Shifu himself. I couldn't stand by and watch her pass up the opportunity to finally earn that love. I stood up and nudged her slightly.

"Lets go." I ordered. She raised her head.

"What?"

"We're gonna to see Shfiu right now. So lets go." I ordered once again.

"But I...no y-you need to rest." She said trying to stall. I ignored her and grabbed her paw. I pulled her off my bed and our the door. "Ben, I can't do this!" I turned and faced her.

"You won't have to." She raised a brow in confusion.

"But how will I-"

"Just trust me." I said as I lead her out of the bunkhouse. We both then searched around the Palace for Shifu. And after searching for sometime, we saw him inside the Hall of Warriors, mediating in front of the reflecting pool. I saw that most of the debris that was in the Hall earlier had been removed. Even though the place still looked like shit, it certainly looked better. Before we entered I turned to Tigress. "I'll go and talk to him. You hide behind a column arm listen in. I'll try and see if he would like you to become more than just his student." Tigress sighed before giving a nod.

"Alright." She said. I allowed her to enter first and he quietly positioned herself behind a column. I then entered the hall and headed over to Shifu. I saw his ear twitch and he turned to see me approach.

"Ben, good afternoon. Are you feeling alright?" He asked noticing the bandages across my chest.

"Better than earlier. How about you?"

"I'm feeling fine. So, what can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if we could...talk about Tigress." After hearing her name, his head twitched.

"Tigress? Alright...what about her?" He asked cautiously.

"I wanted to know why you treat her as your student and not as your daughter." I asked bluntly. He seemed at little surprise to hear my request. He turned and faced the reflecting pool before sighing.

"So...you know that she's my daughter?" He asked not turning around.

"Yes. She told me. And I wondered why you don't treat her as one." He brought a paw to his forehead and rubbed it.

"I treated her as my student because...I did not want to lose her like I had lost Tai Lung." He explained.

"What do mean?" He finally turned to me.

"I loved Tai Lung so much that I allowed my pride to get the best of me. I promised him a future as Dragon Warrior and when Oogway said it was not meant to be...I had lost my son. So after I had find Tigress, I knew I could not make the same mistake twice. I could lose another child...not again." He continued to explain before he peeked around me.

"Is that true?" I heard Tigress ask from behind me. I turned to see her approach us and her eyes were locked with Shifu's.

"Yes. It is. I loved you so much I couldn't lose you. But I couldn't allow emotion get the best of me. I'm sorry, Tigress." Shifu apologised. Tigress got down on one knee.

"All I ever wanted was for you to treat me as your daughter. I just wanted you to love me." She said. Shifu placed a paw on hers.

"I always have, my daughter." And in a matter of seconds, Tigress grabbed the red panda and pulled him into a hug. Shifu wasted no time in placing his arms around Tig...around his daughter.

"Father..." Tigress whispered. As the two continued to hug, I smiled and left the building and started to head to the bunkhouse. I'm so glad that Tigress finally has a father to love her. She really deserves it after having such a shitty life. God I'm just so happy for the two. I can tell things are gonna get better after this, I just know it. I reached the bunkhouse and entered my room. And I think I earned a rest after such a long and painful day. Before I could lay down on my bed, I knock came to my door. I released a quiet annoyed sigh. I got up and opened to door only to find Tigress standing there with a smile on her face. "I don't even know how to begin to thank you, Ben." She said.

"Don't worry about. You deserve this. I was just-" I was cut off as I huffed slightly. I wasn't quite sure I was seeing this right. Tigress was...hugging me? Yeah...she was. Her head was resting on my chest and her arms were thrown around my neck. I knew of difficult it was for her to expression emotion, see this was...just incredible. After a short while, I slowly wrapped my arms around her and rested my head on hers.

"Thank you..." She whispered. I chuckled as I stroked the back of her head gently.

"No problem, Ti. Anything for my best friend." I said. We both stood there, draped in each others arms and I hoped this magical moment wouldn't end. But alas, it did. She pulled her arms from my neck and I pulled my own away.

"I should let you get some rest." She said.

"Alright then. See you tomorrow, Ti." She then nodded and left the room. I laid down on my bed and smiled. Today was certainly one I wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. And I will never forget that hug between me and Tigress. It gave me a blissful feeling thinking about it. I guess our friendship became stronger today. As well as my friendship with the rest of the guys. And our new little addition. I'm glad Po dropped into the Palace grounds like he did. He was the missing piece to our puzzle. Now with him here, it was complete. I closed my eyes and began to think about a promising future for all of us.

(please leave a review!)

( watch?v=sCEsufynALk) some music to add some effect, enjoy.


	37. Chapter 37

_Chapter 37: meeting the another Ling_

It has been three months since Po's arrival at the Jade Palace. Since he defeated Tai Lung, things really changed around here. For one, Master Shifu had become more lenient. I dare if say that he has become nicer. Him and Tigress became closer. I believe the whole situation brought us all closer. The fact that we could have lost one another made us realise just how much we cared for each other. And I think it brought Me and Tigress closer as well. We would do what we normally would do, except now I would get a rare hug from her. She didn't do it in front of the others though. She was still suppressing most of her emotions. But even then, she was certainly coming out of her shell. She would smile more and even though she'd still keep up her tough girl act, she was now more openly nice. I was happy for her. And Po...god where do I begin. The guy is impossible to hate. He's always enthusiastic and full of energy. He does have a childlike personality and the innocence of an infant. It was just fricking adorable. I cherished every moment I had with our new friend. He can certainly brighten the place up with his presence. He introduced us to his dad and we introduced him to our friends. We all got on well. Po would often invite us to eat out at his dads noodle shop. It was an enjoyable and unforgettable three months. Anyway, right now we were all on the road to go pay a visit to Cranes friend Mei Ling. we've been on the road for a day and a half now. And Ling and Chi joined us too. Apparently Crane hasn't seen Mei in two years, so he wanted to visit her. After we all decided to join him, we told Ling and she had asked to join us along with Chi. It's not like we could say no, it was her sister after all. Crane was telling us how Mei had become the leading instructor of the whole academy.

"...of course she would end up running the place. She's a very talented warrior. God I can't wait to see her." Crane said smiling.

"Me too. It's been too long since I've seen my sister. It'll be great to be with her again." Ling said with her arm wrapped around Chi.

"I can't wait to meet her! I mean THEE Mei Ling!" Po said excitedly while jumping on the spot.

"You're a fan of Mei?" Crane asked.

"Of course! She's awesome! I remember hearing about how she took on a thousand croc bandits with nothing but her staff!" I smiled at Po's fan-boyish nature. I don't believe he was fabricating the story either. From the stories Crane has told us, I could only presume we were meeting the female Chuck Norris.

"It's certainly gonna be an enjoyable week. It's good to get out of the palace once and a while." I said.

"You can say that again. I bet Mei's gonna be happy to see." Mantis said with a cocky look.

"Yeah right. Last time we visited her, she whacked you with her staff for trying to touch her behind." Viper reminded him.

"She was just playing hard to get. I'll get her to go on a date with me. You'll all see." Mantis said confidently. As we continued to converse, we eventually came across a small town. We didn't enter however. We headed up a stone path that was embedded into a mountain. We followed until we were surrounded by mist and found ourselves in front of two large wooden doors. When we pushed them open, it revealed a group of rhinos all standing in a number of different lines in front of us. They were all training with staffs and were performing actions simultaneously. The buildings were basic consisting of mere two floors with straw roofs. Most of the place was in the distance and was difficult to see due to the mist. We stepped through the large doors and observed the rhinos train until I turned to see someone approach us. It was a golden Asian cat wearing a teal vest much like Tigress's along with a pair of gloves and a green scarf. She was also wearing green pants, green leg wraps and a green waist wrap. As she walked towards us I noticed she had a heartwarming smile on her face. I could only assume that she was Mei Ling. At the first sight of her, Ling sprinted towards her and the two embraced while sharing a chuckle.

"Sis! It's so good to see you!" Ling spoke with glee.

"It's good to see you too, little sis." Mei said breaking the hug. She turned to Crane and quickly wrapped her arms around him. "Good to see you too, Crane."

"You as well Mei. God it's been too long." Crane smiled breaking the hug. Mei turned to us.

"It's nice to see you all again." She said.

"Good to see you too, Mei. And you're looking hotter than ever." Mantis spoke trying to be seductive. Mei rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Still charming as always." She said sarcastically.

"Of course. So tell me, are you interested in a date tonight?" Mantis asked.

"Would you like me to hit you with my staff again?" She shot back. I couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.

"Point taken. I'll keep my distance...for now." Mantis said retreating back to Monkies shoulder. Mei then noticed me, Po and Chi.

"Ah! I see we have some new faces." She extending her paw to which I shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you...?"

"I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you." I said. In response her smile heightened.

"Oh so you're Ben! Crane's told me so much about you."

"And he spoke very highly of you as well." She then turned to Po.

"Hello. And you are?" Mei asked extending her paw. Po then released a girly squeal before shaking her paw rapidly.

"OH MY GOSH! I can't believe I'm shaking Mei Ling's paw! I'm such a big fan! My names Po." He exclaimed. I was expecting Mei to be a little taken back by his outburst, but instead she giggled.

"It's nice to meet you Po." She smiled.

"Mei Ling said it was nice to meet me!" Po squealed once again.

"He must be a handful." Mei joked.

"Don't get me started." I smiled. Mei then finally turned to Chi.

"And you are?" Mei asked extending her paw to which Chi shook.

"I'm Chi. I'm Ling's...well..." Chi trailed off as she blushed. Mei smiled as she understood what she meant.

"Ohh! My baby sister finally has someone!" Mei said.

"Mei..." Ling said with an annoyed tone while blushing violently. Mei then giggled.

"I'm only teasing. Anyway, how about we get you all to your rooms so you can settle in?" Mei asked.

"Sure, Mei. Lead the way." Crane said. Mei then led us towards a building where we were gonna stay and while we were heading there, Mei and Crane began talking about when Crane was still at the academy. They were talking about an obstacle course that was here and apparently Mei holds the record for completing it the fastest. I think she said she got through it in twenty six seconds. After the conversation ended, we arrived at a building where we all would be staying.

"So just pick a room and settle in." Mei said. While everyone picked a room, Mei approached me and Po. "Seeing how this is you're first time visiting, how about I show you two around?" She asked.

"Sure." I said smiling before turning to Po. "How about Po?"

"That sounds awesome!" Mei chuckled at Po's enthusiasm.

"Alright, follow me." She gestured before leading us outside the building. "Well you've already seen our bunkhouses, so we'll start with our training hall." She then lead us the the academy's training hall. It was certainly a lot bigger than ours. It held more equipment and had more space. I suppose that's because the academy had more students than the Jade Palace. While Mei continued to point out various points of interest, Po was mesmerised by the academy. He was like a child wandering around a shopping mall, peeking into toy shops. We came to our final location which was a medium sized building.

"So what's in there?" Po asked curiously.

"That's our kitchen." Mei replied. Immediately after the word kitchen was uttered, Po's eyes widened.

"Do you have...dumplings in there?" He asked.

"I believe so...why?" Mei asked. Before she could get an answer, Po sped off heading towards the building.

"You're gonna have to restock your food in the morning." I joked. Mei chuckled but ceased as I put on a serious expression. "I'm not kidding. He's cleared our kitchen one too many times."

"Oh don't worry. He seems like a loveable guy."

"He is. I can tell you now he has changed all of our lives since he came to the Jade Palace."

"I'm glad you have found such a great friend. Hey, would you like to see my office?" I nodded.

"Sure, lead the way." As we headed to her office, I figured I'd like to get to know her better. "So Mei, when did you come arrive at the academy?" I asked. She turned to me with a smile.

"Well I came here when I was sixteen. I always had a passion for Kung Fu, so as you could imagine it was easy for me to be accepted here." She replied.

"Yeah, Crane told me how great a fighter you are. How did you two meet anyway?"

"I met him a couple of years after I joined the academy. You should have seen him then. His was so shy and reserved it was so cute. He wanted to train here but the last instructor thought he was too skinny, so he had to settle to the position of janitor. He seemed to isolated and alone, so I befriended him. He stuttered with his words and could swear he looked like he was gonna faint." I chuckled.

"He said that you encouraged him to try out for the school"

"Yeah I did...and I humiliated him because of it.." Mei said with a saddened expression. "They all laughed at him and I felt remorse because of it. But...when he was cleaning in the obstacle course he set off one of the equipment. The instructor told him to step out slowly, but I knew he could do it. I gave him a nod and he got through the course flawlessly. Ever since then, we've been great friends. Anyway, here we are." Mei said standing in front of a small building. As we stepped inside her office I saw there was a desk with various objects such as a quill and inkwell on it. Behind it was a cozy looking chair and a window that was behind the chair. There was a large bookcase holding a lot of books. In the ground there was a large red carpet and to my left there was a door to which I pointed at.

"What's in there?" I asked.

"Oh that's my bedroom." Mei replied taking a sit by her desk.

"A bedroom right next to your office. Perks of being in charge, huh?" I said taking a seat on her desk. I began to look around the room until I noticed something I hadn't before. In between two bookcases there was a war-hammer that had a massive head being held in a glass case. The head resembled a fist and it had a green pattern branded onto it. "Jesus, where'd you get that?" Mei turned her gaze towards the hammer before turning to me.

"That is the Sacred War Hammer of Lei Lang. It's an extremely powerful hammer that causes any object to explode once it impacts on it." She explained.

"I take it you didn't buy this in a store." I joked. She released a chuckle before continuing.

"No. I've been keeping it safe here since I defeated Tong Fo." I raised a brow.

"Tong Fo?" I questioned.

"He was a notorious for wielding this hammer. He caused destruction across China with it years ago. But I managed to track him down and stop him. I took the hammer and he was sent to Chorh-Gom Prison."

"You defiantly seem to keep up your reputation as an excellent fighter." She smiled at my compliment.

"Thank you. Let me tell you, I'm glad you have all come to visit. It can be...quite unbearable here sometimes." She spoke with a frown.

"What do you mean?" She sighed as she rested her head on her paws.

"Before I became the leading instructor, life here was fun. I talked to the other students messed around just for laughs...but that all stopped when I became I'm charge. No one treats me as a friend anymore...just as the instructor. There was no more fun or messing around. In short; it sucks." Seeing someone who had a reputation for being the most lively student in the academy look so down, it was strange to see. Crane told me about her ambitious and enthusiastic ways and yet her she was, frowning and her head buried in her arms. I couldn't just leave her in this state so I figured maybe I could cheer her up.

"Hey, how about you and I go out and get something to eat. It'll be my treat." I suggested. She then met my gaze.

"You would like to take me out to dinner?"

"Beats you staying here and feeling sorry for yourself. Come on. You can show me around the village." I said giving her a playful nudge. She thought about it for a short time before smiling.

"Alright. Lets go." We both then headed out of the academy and headed down the mountain. As we entered the village, Mei began to point out various locations and points of interest in the village like Ling did when I arrived at the Valley. And the place kinda resembled the Valley so there was no point in describing what it looked like. By the time we found a restaurant, the sun had set. As we stepped inside the restaurant, it gave a very nice impression. It was much like Luc's place except a bit smaller. There was musicians playing music and couples danced. Half the tables were occupied with friends and family who seemed to be enjoying themselves. We both ordered a table and food. While we waited, we kept ourselves busy with a bottle of wine.

"Must feel nice to get out once and a while, huh?" I asked taking a sip of wine from my glass.

"It's a relief to say the least. Thank you for dragging my ass from the dumps." She said taking a sip from her own glass.

"No problem, Mei. You seem like a nice girl and deserve a night out."

"Taking a lady out the first day you meet her. You must be a hit with the ladies." She teased. I released a halfhearted chuckle before frowning.

"Unfortunately not. I've never attracted any females in my time. I guess I'm not very charming or good looking."

"Nonsense. From reading Cranes letters, I can tell you're a very sweet and kind person. He said you're very helpful and dependable and that you helped get him and Viper together. And...if I'm honest, I think you're...kinda cute." She said leaning back on her chair with a sly smile. I blushed at her words.

"You...do?" I asked. She nodded.

"Of course. Your blue eyes are very alluring and I think that little beard of yours is adorable."

"Adorable? This baby is manly." I corrected her while running my fingers through my goatee. She giggled.

"It's adorable. So is you're long hair. I must say I don't think I've ever seen someone like you before. You're quite fascinating." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Thanks. And...well I think you're kinda cute too." I admitted.

"I know I am." I chuckled at her 'modesty.'

"Hardy harr. Anyway, I think our food is about to arrive." I said noticing a waiter head to our table with a tray. He set down our plates and we began eat while making idle chat. After some time past, Mei ceased talking before her eyes trailed off somewhere else. They set turned back to me and she also had a smile on her face.

"Ben, would...you like to dance?" Mei asked. I froze on the spot and couldn't get a word out. Dance? I-I can't dance. I'm crap at it.

"Y-you...well-I no I can't dance." I stuttered. Mei stood up from her seat and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, don't be such a stick in the mud. It'll be fun!" She chuckled as she pulled me off my seat and rushed me to the dance floor. I swallowed nervously as she wrapped her arms around me neck. I hesitantly placed my hands on her hips and began to sway side to side.

"I-I'm not very good at t-this." I stuttered. Mei chuckled.

"Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it. And don't be nervous. I won't bite...hard." She teased. This only increased my nervousness. She seemed to notice it and when she did, she placed her head on my chest and sighed happily. When she did, I seemed to feel a little more at ease. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head on hers before sighing happily myself. This felt...nice. I've never been one for dancing, yet here I was with a woman doing exactly that. I guess it was safe to saw I've made a new friend. Mei was a sweet girl and I'm glad I met her. After dancing for sometime, we both finished our meals and returned to the academy. I walked her to her office and we both stood outside.

"I had a great time, Mei." I said smiling. She gave one of her own.

"I did too. Thank you for an unforgettable night. You're a sweet guy."

"Don't worry about." I assured. Mei stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. I chuckled and did he same. We both stood outside her office with our arms draped around one another and we both seemed to be enjoying this moment. However, Mei seemed to be enjoying it a little too much. She removed one arm from my back and began stroking my chest with one finger.

"You know...I think they're might be room for two in my bed..." She said as she began purring. My entire body froze and my eyes widened. D-did she...just say what I think she said? Oh god please tell me she isn't. She pulled her head off my shoulder and stared into my eyes. She reached up and placed a paw on my cheek. My heart began beating rapidly as I noticed her head was leaning towards mine and her lips were pressed out. Before they could reach mine, I quickly pulled away and stared at her in disbelief. She blinked and stared at me with confusion and her purring ceased. "W-what...what's wrong?" She asked.

"Mei, I-I can't...this is just...I'm sorry, I have to go." I said before turning and leaving quickly.

"Ben wait! What's wrong?!" She called after me, but I kept walking. I headed towards the building where my room was and entered it. I headed to my room and closed the door behind me before sitting on my bed. I...I was so confused right now. Mei was...going to kiss me and was trying...oh Jesus. I couldn't do something like that. It...it wasn't right, she isn't even human! Even thinking about it seemed wrong. And yet...I didn't seem to agree with myself on a certain level. She may have not been human but she was like one. She had feelings like one and aspects like one. But the fact that she was a feline was a big no-no. It's just not right...right? Despite how certain I was that the whole idea of...being with another species was wrong, I couldn't help but feel a little angry with myself for thinking this way. I didn't think twice with Crane and Viper being together. Hell I don't give a damn about Ling and Chi being together. So why would I think being with someone who wasn't human? I shook my head and tried not to think about it. I laid down on my bed, closed my eyes and sighed. I should speak with Mei tomorrow and explain why I ran off like that. She at least deserves that much.

(please review! Sorry for late update, I was busy with stuff.)


	38. Chapter 38

_Chapter 38: an old Fo returns_

I groaned as my eyes opened. I released a yawn and stood up before stretching. I sighed as the events of last night clouded my mind. I was beyond confused and could hardy think. The whole thing just took me by surprise. I just wondered how Mei was feeling right now. I just left her with no explanation. I better to and explain why I just ran off like that. I hope I don't run into the others. I'd rather not announce this whole situation to the world. I opened the door to my room and stepped into the hallway only to see the rest of the guys exit their own rooms. Well all except Ling and Chi. "Hey, guys." I greeted.

"Good morning, Ben. How you feeling?" Viper asked with a smile. "I'm doing good, Viper thanks for asking. Where's Ling and Chi?" I asked as we all began exiting the building.

"They left an hour ago. They're spending the day together down in the village." Crane replied. "I believe you went there yesterday, didn't you?" Tigress asked. I cleared my throat and tried not to sound too suspicious. "Uh...yeah. I felt like exploring a bit." I replied.

"I take it you went alone." Crane said. I swallowed hard and contemplated wether or not I should lie to my friends. After a short moment of thought I decided to tell the truth. Well half of it anyway. "No. I went with...Mei." The guys then turned to me and a short silence ensured.

"No way! You got a date with Mei?" Mantis asked rather shocked.

"What? No, no, we just walked around for a bit, talked and and dinner." I replied defensively. However, he remained unconvinced.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say buddy." He said in a scoff manner. My eyebrows furrowed and I released an annoyed growl.

"It wasn't a date, Mantis!" I exclaimed. My annoyed state only amused Monkey, Mantis and Po who began to snicker.

"Come on, Ben, you can tell us all about you date with Mei over breakfast." Mantis joked.

"I think I'll skip breakfast. I gotta go do something." I said with an annoyed expression. Before I could leave, Po shot in felt of me and grabbed my shoulders.

"SKIP BREAKFAST?! Are you insane?!" He asked with a horrified expression. Jesus, this guy takes his daily fibre seriously.

"I just don't feel like it. I'll see you guys later." I said before leaving them. I didn't get far however as I stopped in my tracks and stood in the middle of the academy. I sighed as I began stroking my forehead and wondered what the hell I was gonna say to Mei. I felt angry with myself to just leave her like that. And I now I have no idea what I'm gonna say. After standing there for sometime, I heard someone approach. I turned to see Viper slither towards me with a smile.

"Hey, Ben." She greeted as she stopped in front on me. I sighed.

"Hey, Vip..." I whispered.

"I came to see if you're alright. Look, there's no need to be embarrassed about going out on a date with Mei. You just-"

"I didn't go out on a date with her! It wasn't anything like that..." I explained. Viper then slithered closer towards me.

"Then why do you seem to upset?" She asked. I turned to my serpent friend who looked at me with concerned eyes. I really wanted to keep this whole thing between me and Mei, but Viper was certainly someone I could share my problems with. She has helped me with other problems in the past and I had become someone that I could share anything with. I even explained to her how I felt about me dating another species so she would understand. I sighed once more as I sat on the ground next to her.

"Something...happened last night. I took Mei to a restaurant to cheer her up because she was feeling a little down. We talked we laughed and well...even danced. I really enjoyed myself and she did too. I figured I made a new friend. But...when I walked her back to her room, she...tried to kiss me."

"Kiss you? What's wrong with a little friendly kiss?" Viper asked.

"She wasn't trying to give me a friendly kiss. She...came onto me. Viper...she invited me to spend the night with her." Viper's eyes widened and she remained quiet for a brief movement before speaking.

"I see...and...what did you do?"

"I just left her. She looked so confused and I just left her. I feel really ashamed of myself Viper." I said averting my gaze. I felt Viper place her tail in the palm of my hand.

"You don't need to be. You've already told me about how you feel about being with another species."

"I want to go explain why I did what I did but...I don't know what to say."

"It'll be easy. Just explain how you feel about being with someone who's not human and I'm sure she'll understand."

"You think so?" I asked her as I turned to meet her gaze. She gave a comforting smile.

"Of course she will. You'll see." Vipers words certainly cheered me up as I smiled.

"Thanks, Vip. I'm glad you were here." She chuckled inwardly as she placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Anytime, Ben. You know I'll always be there to help you." She pulled her tail my my hand as I stood up.

"I guess I'll go and-"

"Ben! Viper!" I heard a voice cry out. We both turned to see Chi ran ing frantically towards us.

"Chi? What's wrong?" I asked as Viper and I rushed towards her.

"It's Ling! S-someone kidnapped her!" She explained through shaky breaths.

"Calm down, okay? Now what do you mean someone kidnapped her? Who?" Viper asked.

"I don't know. Two gorillas were with this loris. He took Ling and said he'll kill her if Mei did t return his hammer." Chi explained. Hammer? What ham...wait...did she mean the Sacred War Hammer of Lei Lang? That could only mean...oh shit. Chi's body was completely shaking and looked like she was on the verge of tears. I wrapped my arms around her and began to comfort her.

"It's alright, Chi. It's gonna be fine. We'll get her back, I promise." I assured as I stroked her back gently. She pulled away from the hug and took a long shaky breath.

"Alright...thank you." She whispered as she wiped away a tear.

"No problem. Now, this 'loris,' where did he say he wanted us to bring his hammer?"

"Somewhere called Camelback Mountain." Chi replied.

"Alright, we'll get Ling back. Go rest in the bunkhouse, alright?" Chi nodded.

"I'll get her there and I'll get the others." Viper said.

"Alright. I'll tell Mei." Viper nodded and began to lead Chi back to her room to rest. I then sprinted as fast as I could towards Mei's office. I burst through her door and saw her sitting by her desk with a thoughtful expression which was replaced with a shocked one.

"Ben? Look...about what happened-"

"Mei, I'm not here for that. Something terrible has happened." I explained. Mei shot up from her chair.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Ling's been kidnapped." Mei gasped.

"W-what?! By who?!"

"If I were to guess, I think it's that Tong Fo guy you told me about."

"Tong Fo?! Where has he taken her?!"

"Somewhere called Camelback Mountain. He said if you don't bring him his hammer...he" target="_blank"hammer...he'll kill her." Mei fell back into her chair and had horror on her face.

"Oh my god..."

"We'll get her back, Mei. I promise. Me and the guys can-"

"No. If you get close to his hideout without that hammer...he'll kill her."

"So what do we do?" She sighed in defeat as she gazed over to the glass cabinet holding the hammer.

"We give him what he wants..." She said as she stood up and headed over to the cabinet.

"Are you sure? You told me what kind of power this thing has. If he gets his hands on it..."

"I know...but...this is my sister life on line. I'll do anything for her." Mei whispered. I walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Then lets do this." I said. So Mei took the hammer out of the glass cabinet and we regrouped with the others before heading out of the academy. We were heading to this 'Camelback Mountain' which was about an hours walk from here. After a while, we began to approach Camelback Mountain. When we began to climb it, I beagn thinking about what were gonna do. We all agreed that once Ling was safely by our side, we'd try to stop Tong Fo from using the hammer. Finally gonna meet this slimy bastard. What kind of person kidnaps someone to gain victory? A coward that's who. I'm gonna punch this shithead so hard for taking Ling. if there's one thing I hated more than cowards like this guy, was people who threatened the people I care about. As we reached halfway up the mountain, we stopped outside a large set of doors that led into the mountain. As we entered them, the light became a lot dimmer. The whole place was lit up with various torches and not much else. We walked for sometime though a large hallway with crumbling columns, we entered a large room filled with animals. They were all armed to the teeth with weapons and shot us threatening glares at out presence. The room with brighter than the hall we traveled down and had a lot more space. At the far end of the room, there seemed to be a little shattered throne with a large embedded picture of a loris in the wall. We stopped in the middle of the hall and the animals surrounded us.

"Where's Tong Fo?" Mei growled. After a short period of silence, the sound of someone scrambling around the room. Immediately the animals that surround us seemed to become rather unnerved.

"Right here...Miss Ling." came a voice that echoed throughout the hall. The voice sounded...strangely like Christopher Walken. Weird huh?

"Show yourself, you coward!" Mei demanded. We all began searching around hall until Tong Fo spoke once again.

"If you insist." He said as the sound of something hit the ground entered our ears. We all turned to see a loris sitting on the crumbling throne with the hands together and legs crossed. His fur was a light tan colour and he had amber eyes. He was wearing nothing but blue sweatpants and he...he had...Jesus those eyes are fricking huge. I know I shouldn't get distracted but my god, those eyes are so big! Mei growled and tried to approach him. "Ah ah! I wouldn't. Cause...if you do, you're...little sister is...history." He spoke giving pauses in between words and emphasised words he shouldn't. Yeah this was Christopher Walken alright.

"Where is she?" Mei asked. Tong Fo snapped his fingers and two gorillas came out of nowhere and one had Ling in their grasp. She had a gag in her mouth and her paws were bound.

"As you can see...she's doing just fine. It would be...a shame if something should happen to her." He threatened with a wicked smile. What an asshole.

"I got your hammer, you bastard. So let her go."

"Not till it's in my grasp." He said turning towards one of the gorillas. "Go and get it." He ordered. The gorilla bowed before approaching Mei. He held his giant hand out in front of and until Mei reluctantly handed over her hammer but also making sure it didn't touch the ground. Once the hammer was in the primates grasp, Tong Fo turned to the other gorilla who was holding Ling. "Let her go." The gorilla dropped Ling onto the ground and she sprinted towards us. When she reached us, Mei threw her arms around her and hugged her sister. She then quickly undid the bindings on her wrists and pulled the gag from her mouth before Ling threw her arms around her.

"Oh thank god, you're alright." Mei said.

"Thank you for coming to get me, Mei. I-I...was so scared." Ling admitted as she snuggled into her sister shoulder.

"At long last! I finally have my hammer once more!" Tong Fo declared triumphantly. "Thank you...for making this so easy. Boys...kill them all!" He ordered. His thugs released a battle cry before they rushed towards us.

"Get behind us Ling!" I said as a smashed my fist into a boars face knocking him clean out.

"We have to stop him from hitting the hammer onto the ground!" Mei exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I got it!" Po said as he began to fight his way through various thugs. "Lightning feet, baby! Whoo!" He yelled as he quickly dispatched the thugs before he reached Tong Fo who was about the being the hammer down onto the ground. Po leapt into the air and snatched it from his grasped and held it in the air. "I got it guys!" Suddenly, Tong Fo leapt onto his head, grabbed Po's ears and started to headbutt him. He stopped for a brief moment as he started directly into Po's eyes.

"Give me back my hammer!" He growled.

"You'll never..you'll...geez you're eyes are huge." Po commented which infuriated Tong Fo.

"My eyes aren't big! I have a small skull! My brain barely fits inside it!" Tong Fo said angrily and he began to punch Po which caused Po to throw the hammer into the air. I sprinted forward and and slid across the ground. I stretched out my arms and caught the hammer by the handle with the head of it hovering an inch from the ground. Holy shit that was a close one. I quickly jumped to my feet and began kicking thugs that came into my direction until I felt something land on my back and began punching the back of my head.

"Ah! Son of a bitch!" I yelled in pain.

"Give me the hammer!" Tong Fo ordered.

"Ben, over here!" I heard Monkey shout. I turned towards him and tossed to hammer in his direction. He caught it in mid air as I pulled Tong Fo from my back and began punching his face.

"Take that, you little bastard!" I growled. He grabbed my hand and pulled myself from my grasped. He landed a kick to my face before heading towards Monkey, who passed it to Mantis who scurried across the ground. We tossed it back and forth until we had dealt with all of Tong Fo's goons aside for the two gorillas. After a while Po had the hammer once again. Tong Fo, who was now pissed, released a yell as he struck Po's face causing him to lose grasp of the hammer to which Tong Fo grabbed.

"Finish them off!" He ordered as he began sprinting out of the hall and into the hallway we entered. His two gorilla goons then slowly headed towards us and they both growled.

"We gotta catch him!" I said.

"Then run after him. We'll deal with these guys." Crane said.

"I'll come and help you." Tigress said. I nodded as we both sprinted after Tong Fo while the rest of the guys dealt with the gorillas. Tigress and I shot through the hallway and finally got outside only to see Tong Fo with the hammer raised and ready to strike the ground. I leapt forward and tackled him causing us both to tumble near the edge of the cliff and sent the hammer flying into the air. I gazed over my shoulder just to see Tigress catch it in time. I turned back to Tong Fo only to be kicked into the face. He quickly rolled across the ground, got back onto his feet and pounced at Tigress. She then retaliated using her feet to attack him and was effectively landing powerful hits. However, Tong Fo gained the upper hand as he block her foot and struck her knee which brought her down to his level. He then repeatedly punched her face until she was on her back.

"Ti, over here!" I shouted as I held out my hands. She quickly tossed the hammer into the air and as I was about to catch it, the slimly loris shot forward and snatched it midair before he kicked my face once again which made me fall onto my back. For such a little guy, he was fricking tough.

"Sorry, chumps, but it looks like...you lose!" He announced as he hovered the hammer over his head with a devious smile.

"Wait! Before you use the hammer, can I ask you something?" I asked which took him by surprise as well as prompt a questionable gaze from Tigress.

"What?" He said cautiously

"Can you just say 'I need more cowbell?'" He raised a brow confused.

"Mmmph. Fine." He then cleared his throat. "I need more cowbell!" That was hilarious.

"Thanks. Now...take this!" I shouted uppercutting him with my foot which sent both him and the hammer flying. Tong Fo went straight into the side of the mountain and knocked him out, while the hammer soared through the air and was about to head off the cliff! Tigress regained her balance and rushed towards the hammer that was just about to head off the cliff. She quickly snatched it with one paw but seemed like she was about to fall. "Tigress!" I exclaimed as I felt my heart skip a beat. I shot forward and grabbed her waist before she fell into the foggy abyss below. She was now literally hovering over the cliff and the only thing stopping her from falling was me holding onto her waist. Oh geez how did I get myself into this awkward situation. Tigress released a nervous cough and averted her gaze as I pulled her back onto solid ground. I quickly removed my hands from her waist and smiled sheepishly. "Eh sorry about that. But are you alright, Ti?" I asked concerned.

"I'm fine, thank you." She smiled holding the hammer in her grasp.

"Thank god. Alright, lets get back to the others and clean this mess up." She nodded as we headed back inside. After returning to our friends, we saw the two gorillas on the ground whimpering along with the rest of Tong Fo's goons. We informed the guards in the village by the academy and they got here as fast as they could. Tong Fo was taken back to Chorh-Gom prison along with his goons and we returned Ling back safely to the academy. Once everything returned back to normal, the sun had set and I figured now was the best time to talk to Mei. I headed to her office as the moon enveloped the sky. I stood outside Mei's office and took a deep breath before knocking gently.

"Come in." I heard Mei say from within. I opened the door and saw her sitting by her desk. Her eyes were set upon me. She ceased what she was doing and we both stared at one another.

"Hey, Mei..." I greeted.

"Hi, Ben, it's good to see you...how are you doing?" She asked quietly. I walked over to her desk and took a sit.

"I'm good...thanks for asking." I replied. We both sat there for another moment before I decided to nut up and just stop sugar-coating things.

"Listen, Mei, I came to talk about last night." She sighed and nodded understandingly.

"I know. Look, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or put you on the spot. I figured that we were getting along so well...I thought we could...fool around." She explained.

"I'm sorry too for leaving you like that. I owed you an explanation and just ran off. But I want you to know that I like you...just not like that."

"I understand. I wasn't looking for it to develop in a relationship if you were wondering. It was just gonna be for fun, you know?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I get it. So...can we back to being friends?" A smile spread across her face at my question. As a response she stood up and embraced me.

"Of course." She whispered. I felt a smile spread across my face too as I embraced her. We both stood for a while in each others arms until Mei pulled away with her arms still around me. "I just have one question."

"What is it?"

"What don't you like me? You know...like me like me?" I sighed and figured I should tell her the truth.

"It's not you in general. It's just the whole cross-species thing. The thought of being with someone whose not human doesn't feel right to me." I replied. Mei, surprisingly seemed rather shocked.

"So you'd rather spend your life without love instead of taking a chance with someone close to you? After all, you said during dinner yesterday that you're the only one of your species."

"I won't be alone. I have my friends." I said defensively.

"And what if they fall in love with someone and leave to raise a family? Who will you have then?" I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. In a sense...she had a point. What if I end up alone? Living my life all by myself with no one to care for. If there's one thing that I feared...it was being alone. But I just could t wrap my head around the whole cross-species thing. I guess growing up in a world surrounded by humans kinda hard wired me to think like this. I don't know..I just need time to think.

"I get your point. I'll think about what you said." She leaned up and gave a quick kiss to my cheek.

"I hope you do. You're a sweet guy, Ben. And you deserve to have someone special in your life. So please, just think about it."

"Alright...I'll see you tomorrow, Mei." I whispered as I broke the hug and left her office. I headed back to the bunkhouse, entered my room and laid down on my bed. This last two days have certainly left an impact on me. Up until now I was against the idea of dating another species but after the talk with Mei...I don't know what to think. I guess a good nights sleep will do me good. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

(leave a review please!)


	39. Chapter 39

_Chapter 39: cry me a fever_

Ever since we paid a visit to Mei Ling a few weeks back, I began to ponder more about the thought of being with another species. Mei and I talked more about it and when we left the academy my opinion seems to have varied. Granted I wasn't one hundred percent certain that I believe the idea of cross-species wasn't right, but I wasn't saying that's it's wrong either. Being here as long as I have you begin to treat the residents here as normal everyday citizens. I don't even take into account that they're animals anymore, just people. And maybe amongst those people is someone who I could...be with. I certainly don't wish to be alone for the rest of my life, so...yeah, maybe one day I could give it a shot and try to be with someone here. After all, there's no harm in trying. As for now I believe I should just focus on today's training. It was a thursday morning and I had just gotten up. I was waiting for the morning gong and I had no doubt the others were too. Since it was so quiet, I heard what sounded like someone groaning followed by loud coughing. It didn't sound pretty healthy too. I guess I'll find out who was making that noise when the gong rings. After waiting for a short time, the gong rang and I rushed out of my room.

"Good morning, Master." We all greeted...except one. I couldn't believe I was saying this but Tigress was not out of her room to greet her father. I must be dreaming, Tigress has never been late to wake up. Even the others seemed confused.

"Tigress?" Shifu asked aloud. In response we all heard a moan emanate from her room. I then saw her silhouette shuffle inside her room. And she seemed to be...shuffling towards her door. She seemed to release another moan as her door slowly opened revealing a rather...I'll looking Tigress. Her fur colour almost looked dull and her eyes seemed puffy. I also noticed she seemed to be struggling the breath.

"Jesus, Ti, are you alright?" I asked concerned. She locked her gaze with mine and leaned on the frame of her door.

"I'm...I'm alright, I just..." She replied before halting mid sentence and coughed violently. She released her grip on the doorframe and stood while swaying slightly.

"Ti...?" I questioned as I took a step out of my room. After swaying for a short moment, she released a heavy exhale and her eyes rolled back her their sockets as she collapsed onto her back. "Tigress!" I exclaimed as I rushed into her room. The others followed as well and stood by her door, staring in with worried expressions.

"What's wrong with her?" Po asked. I got onto my knees and began to inspect her. Her eyes were shut and she was taking in stuttering breaths.

"Tigress? Tigress can you hear me?." I asked shaking her slightly, but I got no response. "She's unconscious." Shifu pushed past the guys and rushed to his daughters side.

"Get her onto her bed." Shifu said. I nodded as I wrapped my arms under her and lifted her up. I then headed over to her bed alongside Shifu and gently laid her down. I then stepped back and allowed Shifu to look her over. He opened her eyelids and inspected her pupils before moving on the look at her tongue. He then sighed before drawing a conclusion. "It's as I thought. She has River Fever." I turned to see the others share worried expressions while I raised a brow confused.

"River what?" I questioned.

"River Fever. It's a virus that can be quite fatal if you catch it as an adult." Viper explained.

"Yeah, I had it once as a kid. Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. There was a lot of coughing, sneezing, puking, farting-"

"Po! We don't need to hear this story." Monkey said.

"Oh sorry. But what is there to worry about? When I had it it went away the next day." Po said.

"This is different Po. Right now an adult has it. She could even...die." Viper said worried. When she said the word die, I swear I felt my heart skip a beat. She could die? Oh Jesus Christ no.

"Well how can we help her?" I asked.

"The only way we can help her beat this illness is with a sun orchid." Shifu concluded.

"A sun orchid? What's that?" Mantis asked.

"It's a rare flower that is extremely effective against fighting this virus." Shifu explained.

"Alright, so what's the plan? Where can we get the flower?" Po asked. Shifu pondered for a short time before coming up with something.

"Po, Mantis and Monkey come with me. I'll tell you were the flower is and you three can retrieve it. The rest of you look after Tigress." He said.

"Don't worry, Master, we'll look after her." I assured. He gave a slight nod before leaving with Mantis, Po and Monkey. "I'll go make her something to eat for when she wakes up. She's gonna need to keep her strength up. Crane would you help me in the kitchen?" Viper asked.

"Of course, sweetheart." He replied with a smile.

"I'll stay here with her. I wanna he here when she wakes up." I said kneeling down by Tigress's bed.

"Alright we'll be back soon." Viper said as she left with Crane. I sighed as I turned my gaze to the unconscious feline. I placed my hand over her left paw and just waited for her to wake up. What a way to begin the day. I mean Jesus, I'm not sure if the whole thing is real. Almost ten minutes ago I woke up, ready for training and now I'm by my best friends side, scared shitless that we lose her. River Fever? Considering what Po said, I'd imagine that it's the equivalent of chicken pox. But if this thing is contagious, some people might suggest I should keep my distance and take circumspection into consideration. I say to hell with that, she helped me recover after the situation with Tai Lung, so I'm gonna return the favour...even if it might be in vain. I shook my head and mentally slapped myself. How the hell could I think like that? This was Tigress! She could beat anything. And she's sure as shit gonna beat this virus...I know she will. No. I need to eliminate any doubt. Po, Mantis and Monkey will get the sun orchid, she'll get better and we'll all laugh about this tomorrow. I knelt by Tigress' for some time waiting quietly in deep thought, until I heard a weak groan. I raised my head to see Tigress beginning to stir slightly.

"Ti?" I whispered. In response, she brought her left paw up to her mouth and began coughing. Shortly after she stopped coughing, he eyes ever so slowly crept open and they began surveying the room until they fell upon meX

"B-Ben...?" She called out weakly. I smiled as I leaned closer.

"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"

"I...I feel a little dizzy. What happened?"

"You collapsed this morning."

"I collapsed?" She questioned confusingly.

"Yeah, it turns out you have River Fever. But there's no need to worry. Po, Mantis and Monkey are working on getting a flower to help you fight it."

"Why aren't you helping them?"

"Because I wanna be by your side through this thing. Like how you were after the situation with Tai Lung. So if you need anything just ask, okay?" She nodded while releasing a weak smile.

"Thank you. I am rather thirsty. Could you get me a glass of water?" I nodded.

"Of course. I'll be right back." I said as I left the bunkhouse and headed for the kitchen. Things are certainly looking up now. She's wide awake and all we have to do is wait for the guys to come back with the sun orchid. I knew things were gonna be alright. I arrived at the kitchen and stepped inside to see Crane and Viper by the stove, cooking what smelled like soup. The two heard me come in and turned with a smile.

"Hey, Ben." Crane greeted.

"Hey, guys. How's the soup coming along?" I asked picking up an empty glass and headed towards the sink.

"Just about. How's Tigress?" Viper asked.

"Well she's awake, so that's gotta be a good sign that's things are looking up, right?" Crane and Viper shared a rather...strange glance before releasing weak smiles.

"Sure..." Viper uttered as she turned her gaze back to the stove. I then raised a brow in suspicion.

"You do know she's pull through, right?" I asked. Viper then sighed as she turned to me with sorrowful eyes.

"I don't wanna lie to you, Ben. River Fever is really deadly when an adult catches it. I even knew people who died from it. I wanna have hope she'll be okay...but-"

"She'll be fine, alright? She's a tough one. She'll pull through. So there's no need to worry." I said. After realising I spoke with a hostile tone, I sighed shamefully. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Hey, it's alright. You're just worried, we all are. But...you still have to accept the fact that she...might die." Viper said bluntly. I really don't know why she was bringing up that outcome. It wasn't gonna happen. I bet once then bring Tigress her soup and see that she's alright, they'll change their minds. They just need to have a little faith.

"No I don't because that's not gonna happen. The guys will get the sun orchid and things will get back to normal, you'll see." Viper merely sighed.

"Sure...anyway, the soups ready, lets go bring it to Tigress." She said as she full a bowl with some soup.

"I'll bring it to her. I'm already heading back with a glass of water anyway." Viper nodded as she handed me the bowl. I then left the kitchen and headed back to Tigress.

(leave a review please!)


	40. Chapter 40

_**BEFORE I POST THIS I WANNA SAY THAT I HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE, I AM PUBLISHING BEN'S STORY AGAIN BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD DO IT ALL IN ONE NIGHT. SO WITH OUT FURTHER ADIEU ON WITH THE STORY.**_

 _Chapter 40: by your side...always_

After I left the kitchen, I began to head back to Tigress with the soup and the glass of water. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Viper believes there's a chance Tigress might...no, she won't. I know she won't, so there's nothing to worry about. I still couldn't help but feel a little ashamed for speaking to Viper with a hostile tone. I guess I just got a little defensive of Tigress. I just...she's my best friend and I care for her a lot. And someone just saying that she could die, kinda just point me on edge. I wonder how the three amigos were doing in retrieving the sun orchid. The fact that them three are out getting the flower almost makes me regret staying here. I know they're gonna do their best but...it's Monkey, Mantis and Po we're talking about. Do I even need to say anything else? I know it's kinda mean to speak about them like that but Jesus, Tigress' life is at stake here. I guess thinking about it too much will only makes things worse. So I guess I should trust that the guys will get the flower. I reached the bunkhouse and stepped inside. Once I was inside, I headed down the hallway and stood outside Tigress's room. I saw that she was lying on her side facing me. I also noticed her eyes were closed and she was taking in long breaths.

"Ti...?" I whispered as I approached her. She released a cough as her eyelids slowly opened revealing tired eyes. At my presence she smiled weakly and I returned with one of my own. "I got your water and some soup that Viper cooked." I said kneeling beside her bed. I handed her the water to which she drank quickly before I took the empty glass from her.

"Thank you." She said speaking with a faint tone. I then handed her the bowl of soup.

"Here. You're gonna need to keep your strength up." She took the bowl from my grasp and began to eat. I sat on the ground while leaned against the end of Tigress's bed.

"This taste quite nice." Tigress said as she continued to eat the soup.

"Considering Viper made it, I'd imagine it is."

"You know, you don't need to stay. I'll be fine on my own." I immediately shook my head after she finished her sentence.

"Sorry, no can do. As your best friend and I'm gonna do everything I can to help you recover." She then released a playful smirk.

"What makes you think your my best friend?" She asked teasingly.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm awesome and a great guy who's been by your side for months."

"Yeah...you have. You've always been by my side." She noted while she stopped eating.

"Of course I have. You and me are a team. We look out for each other. It's what we do."

"I suppose. But surely you should have made on exception for today. My illness could get passed onto you." She said worriedly.

"I doubt it. I've got a pretty good immune system. Unlike Crane, I don't freak out when people sneeze on me or when then cough in my direction. As a result, it's toughened up my immune system. I hardly even get sick anymore."

"But this is much different than any regular illness. It's deadly. It...it might even kill-"

"Don't talk like that please. You're gonna be fine."

"I wish I could share your optimism, but your conclusion is still surmise. There's still a chance-" I cut her off as I placed my hand over her paw and held onto it tightly. She gazed down at my hand before staring at me confusingly.

"Ti...I've already lost someone in my life who I cared for...I don't want to lose another. So please, just try and fight this thing as best you can, alright?" I begged still holding onto her paw. She wielded a thoughtful expression before giving a nod.

"I'll do my best. I promise." I smiled as pull my hand away and stood up.

"Thank you. Now, how about a game of checkers?" I proposed.

"That's sounds nice." So for the next few hours, Tigress and I played numerous games of checkers and also conversed. As you could imagine I lost every single game of checkers we played. I mean Jesus, I suck so hard at that game. Why do I keep playing it? I don't know, maybe I have a split personality whose sadist. Either way, it annoyed me. And...granted, as time passed...Tigress seemed to...be getting a little worse. Which could mean anything. It might be something that just comes and goes. Even though she...coughed violently and seemed to be getting more tired. But again, it could mean anything. Like maybe she just needs some rest or something. Yeah, yeah that's probably it. Viper, Crane and Shifu would stop by every so often to see how Tigress was doing. And Viper and Crane would comment how...she might be getting worse. MIGHT being the key word. Which meant there's still a chance she'll be fine. Right now the sun was about to set and Tigress and I were in the middle of a game of checkers while Crane and Viper were in their rooms.

"Your move." I said noticing I was pretty much screwed for this match. Tigress looked over the board and began to ponder where to move her pieces. I noticed that her eyes seemed to be struggling to stay open and she was breathing rather weakly. As she reached out to move a piece she halted and hovered her paw over the board. "Ti?" She released a loud series of coughing as she brought her paw to her mouth. I gasped with what I saw. Upon her final cough, some blood had spurted from her mouth. "Oh Jesus." I took the checker board off her bed and wiped the blood from her mouth with my sleeve.

"I...I don't believe I can...hold out much longer." She spoke up with a hoarse tone as she laid down on her bed. I quickly knelt down by her side.

"No, no you're gonna be fine. You're gonna be fine. Just hang in there."

"Ben..."

"The guys will be back soon, just please hold on."

"Ben..."

"Tigress, please I don't-" I stopped mid sentence as Tigress silenced me by placing her paw on my cheek. I stared at her with a sorrowful expression as I placed my hand over the paw that was on my cheek.

"Ben...it" target="_blank"Ben...it's alright."

"No, no Ti, it isn't."

"It will be. Don't worry. I...I just want you know...that you have be the greatest friend anyone could ask for. You've never left my side, even now. And I feel grateful to have known you." I felt beyond touched at her words and felt my emotions begin to stir.

"Ti..." I whispered.

"Say goodbye...to the others for me. And...always stay strong. And...be safe..." As she finished her sentence she released a long exhale as her eyes closed and her paw slid from my face. I began breathing rapidly and began to panic.

"Ti? Tigress?!" I shouted shaking her wildly only to got silence in response. "V-viper! Viper." I heard doors open and the sound of someone heading towards Tigress's room. The door flew open revealing both Viper and Crane.

"Ben? What's wrong?" Viper asked.

"It's Tigress. S-she's not breathing!" I stuttered. Viper rushed towards Tigress and began to inspect her. Crane then stepped into the room and placed a comforting wing around me. I saw Viper bring her tail to Tigress's neck and checked for a pulse. After a short time, Viper turned with a sorrowful expression.

"Ben...she's-"

"No, don't say that, please! There's gotta be something we can do!" Before Viper could say anything, the sound of footsteps were heard coming from the hallway. Within a matter of seconds, Po, Mantis and Monkey were standing by the door. And Po was carrying a flower that was pink, yellow, orange, and red.

"Sorry we're late. We had a run with a scorpion and..." Po began before stopping as he noticed Tigress. "Oh no."

"Po, is that the sun orchid?" He nodded. I held out my hand. "Give me it." He walked over and handed it to me.

"Ben, it's too late. She can't-" I silenced Viper as I put the orchid into Tigress's mouth and managed to get her to swallow it. I then waited along with the others for a result. We waited and waited...and waited...but Tigress remained motionless. I stared at her with a saddened expression as I felt someone touch my shoulder. I gazed over it to see Vipers tail resting on my shoulder. I noticed everyone else had saddened expressions too. I turned back to Tigress before shutting my eyes, lowering my head and placing a hand on her paw. I...I can't believe it. I fooled myself into thinking she'll be okay and now she's...oh god Tigress. After a long silenced ensured, I...I swear I could feel something move in my grasp. I raised my head and stared at the hand that was resting on Tigress's paw. After a few seconds my heart leapt from my chest as I her fingers twitched. Shortly after her fingers twitched my mouth opened ajar as I saw her take a deep inhale.

"T-Ti...?" I questioned. My heart was beating so fast as I saw her eyes begin to open and soon they found themselves staring at me. "You're alive!" I exclaimed happily as I began to laugh. The rest soon shared my happiness as they leaned closer to expression the relief that she was alive. This is just...a miracle! When Shifu said this thing was effective I didn't think it was this effective! Oh sweet Jesus I can't summon the correct words on how fricking happy I am right now. I doubt anyone could. I mean what do you say when you almost lost your best friend? As you could imagine there was much rejoice to Tigress's beyond the grave recovery. But as time passed, Viper suggested we leave Tigress to get some rest. As they left to return to their own rooms, I stayed with Tigress.

"What a day." Tigress said siting up from her bed. I took a seat beside her and brought my hands together.

"Heh...yeah. Kinda touch and go there for a moment."

"Yeah..." We both sat there for sometime in silence before I needed to ask something.

"Ti, what you said before you...did you really mean that?" I asked gazing over to her direction. Soon enough, she turned to meet my gaze before nodding.

"Of course I did. You've...become someone special in my life. You're the only one I feel I can share anything with. You've helped me achieve things I couldn't alone. I am glad to have you in my life." Once again, I found myself touched by her words. I knew she wasn't one for words so I really appreciated her opinion on me.

"Thank you, Ti. You're special to me too. And I'm glad to have you in my life. I'm just...so happy that your..." I trailed off as I found myself staring blankly at my feline friend. My emotions hit me like a bullet when I realized I had almost lost her an hour ago. A person who practically brightens up my day...I couldn't expression verbally how I truly felt right now. So I allowed actions to do it for me. I threw my arms around Tigress and pulled her in for a hug. My arms were around her tightly as my head rested on hers. I could sense Tigress was taken by surprise because she didn't act at first. But, soon enough, I felt her wrap her own arms around me as I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"It's alright Ben...it's alright." I heard Tigress say beneath my chin. I sniffed as I allowed tears to flow from my face.

"I-I'm so glad your okay." I stuttered as I continued to sniff. We sat there wrapped in each others arms for sometime until I pulled away. I wiped the tears from my eyes and cheeks. "I should let you rest now." I said as I stood up. Tigress gave a nod.

"Alright. Goodnight, Ben." She said before laying down on her bed and closing her eyes. I stood by her door gazing at her before a approached her slowly. I knelt down and gently placed a hand on her head.

"Goodnight, Tigress." I whispered as I gently stroked her head. I stood up, left her room and closed the door behind me. I entered my own room and pulled off my vest and undershirt. I laid down on my bed before closing my eyes. Today was certainly...a frightening one. I the fact I almost lost my best friend still scares me. I'm just...beyond thankful she's okay. I guess today made me realize just how much she meant to me. And it made me realize just how much I meant to her. I can only hope this River Fever shit doesn't get past onto the others. I don't think I could go through another experience like that. I released a yawn before I decided to just rest for the night.

(please review!)


	41. Chapter 41

_Chapter 41: the innocence of a panda_

The month of June had come to an end and It was now the beginning of July. Things seemed to have gone back to normal since the whole River Fever situation. I believe it felt appropriate to talk about it instead of acting as if it didn't happen. It certainly was a scary situation for all of us, especially me. Considering the fact that I cried, showed just how much Tigress meant to me. That moment when her eyes closed and she stopped breathing played through my mind again and again. And every time it feels like my heart is being impaled by a knife. I'd often find myself searching around the palace for Tigress to just make sure she's still here. And I find myself beyond relieved to see her still alive. But there's something else I was reluctant to speak about before, but now if felt unavoidable. Ever since the whole situation with Tai Lung, I began to feel rather...strange around Tigress. What I mean is, every time we hang out or train, an odd feeling stirs within me. Ive even developed the urge to...reach out and hold her sometimes. I know that seems weird, but every time I'm with her, I just want...to embrace her and keep her safe. I didn't know why these odd feelings have developed within me. I'm not saying...they're bad feelings. On the contrary, they were...nice feelings. The kind you wish would expand. Still, I wasn't quite sure what these feelings were, for I was unable to explain them. But I'm sure I'll find out someday. For now, it felt wise to just keep these feelings to myself and try and figure out what they meant. Anyway, today was Friday and me and the guys were called out to deal with a problem north of the Valley. According to a letter delivered to us by Zeng, some bandits were spotted there and apparently they have tried to rob a couple of travellers on the road, so we're now heading up to they're last known location. Because it was so frickin hot out, I resorted to removing my undershirt and tucking it into the side of my pants while I tied the sleeves of my vest around my waist. As we walked down a path towards the bandits, we were all were pretty much just nattered.

"Jian's pregnancy is certainly starting to show." Mantis spoke up as he rode on my shoulder.

"How do you mean?" I asked.

"Well there's the obvious belly growing, but she usually lashes at me when I come around to say hello. It must be her hormones or something."

"I don't its her hormones. I'm pretty sure it's because everyone wants to hit you." Monkey joked. I chuckled along with Crane and Viper as Mantis pouted.

"Yeah, very funny. We can only dread the day when you procreate." Mantis spat back.

"Hey, I'd be a great dad." Monkey said defensively.

"I don't know. I seem a little too callow. You might set a bad example with the things you do." I said.

"Oh yeah, name one time I did something that would be a bad influence on a kid."

"How about when you drew a dick on Mantis's back that one time." I reminded. Monkey put on a thoughtful expression before he burst out laughing.

"Oh yeah, that was hilarious." Monkey giggled.

"No it wasn't! I was halfway through the Valley before I realised what everyone was laughing at." Mantis exclaimed angrily.

"But seriously, I can't be a worse father than Mantis." Monkey reasoned.

"Fair point." I admitted.

"Well lucky for you guys I don't even want kids. It's the bachelors life for me. Nothing but fine booze and women." Mantis proclaimed.

"Yeah, now all you need is actual women to support your lifestyle." Crane spoke up. We all shared a chuckle except Mantis who groaned in annoyance.

"Well what about you, lover boy, you think about having any kids?" Mantis asked.

"Well, I have thought about it before and I don't know. Maybe. The thought of my own kid does kinda give me a nice feeling, so I guess someday." He answered before turning to his serpent lover. "What about you, sweetheart?"

"Oh defiantly. I love taking care of kids and the chance to raise one of my own would be an unforgettable experience."

"Maybe one day...we could raise a child together...?" Crane proposed with flustering cheeks and a goofy smile. In response Viper smiled before coiling herself around Crane and placing a kiss on his beak.

"I would like that..." She whispered as she snuggled into his neck. I gazed at Mantis on my shoulder only to see him hover his front leg in his mouth, simulating a puking manner as he made a rather obnoxious sound when he did. I merely rolled my eyes and smiled at his childish behaviour.

"What about you, Ben, would you ever like to have any kids?" Viper asked turning to me. Her question caught me off guard and I wondered what I should say.

"Huh...I don't know. The thought of fatherhood never really crossed my mind. I don't even know if I'd be good at it." I replied.

"Nonsense, I think you'd be a great dad." Crane said.

"Yeah, you're caring, kind and very protective." Viper added.

"But is that enough to take care of a child?" I asked.

"Maybe it is. You never know until you have a child of your own." Viper said.

"Still...there's lot a responsibility when it comes to taking care of a kid. But maybe one day I might make up my mind wether or not I want a kid."

"You do that, buddy. So who's up next for the question? I would ask Tigress but she'd actually need to stop scaring away men for her to have kids." Mantis joked before chuckling. But his laughter began to die down as Tigress gazed over her shoulder and stared at Mantis angrily. Mantis gulped as he picked up a few strands of my hair and hid behind them.

"There's no need to be so nasty, Mantis." Viper scolded. "Tigress can be very kind when she wants."

"Thank you, Viper." Tigress said turning her gaze ahead of her.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Anyway, Po you're up." Mantis announced turning the Po who was on our left. I also turned only to see Po in a thoughtful stage.

"Uh...Po?" Monkey questioned.

"I'm confused." Po spoke up.

"No change there..." Mantis uttered into my ear.

"Confused about what?" I asked.

"About Jian." He answered. Jian? What has he got to be confused about her?

"What do you mean, buddy?" Monkey asked.

"Well, if she's gonna have a baby, how come her belly keeps getting bigger?" He asked scratching his head. We all stopped in our tracks as our attention was focused on Po. Did he...does know...about...

"Po, you do know where babies come from...right?" I asked.

"Wha? Of course I do! The stork comes by and delivers it." He answered proudly, crossing his arms. A long silenced ensured as we all shared questionable glances. Oh...my...god, I know Po's not the smartest guy in the world but...jeez he kinda almost pushing the barrier of vacuous. Okay, maybe that's a little mean, but...he doesn't know about...sex? He's an adult and he doesn't know? Didn't his father ever tell him? He can't go around not knowing about reproduction. Someone's gotta tell him. Po's proud pose soon degraded as he noticed our expressions. "They do come from storks...right?" He asked. Oh Jesus, they manner in which he asked that question made him appear as a curious little child. This was just too adorable.

"Uh...um...no..." Monkey uttered awkwardly.

"Wait, you don't know about se-" I quickly blocked Mantis mouth with my finger.

"Mantis!" I whispered aloud through gritted teeth. I raised my head and gave Po a awkward smile. "Uh...gives us all a second Po. I then walked towards the others and we huddled together.

"What do we do here?" Crane whispered.

"We gotta tell him. Or one of us has to." Monkey uttered.

"Hell, I'll do it." Mantis said.

"Not a chance." I muttered.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"Because this kind of...subject should be handled with care." Viper spoke up.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Oh really? Because you're the number one person to teach reproduction." I said sarcastically. "You told Monkey what a MILF is for Christ sake!" Upon hearing the word MILF Monkey and Mantis giggled like school girls.

"What's a MILF?" Viper asked.

"Oh it means mother if like to fu-"

"MANTIS!" I exclaimed, silencing him.

"Okay..so who's gonna tell him?" Monkey asked.

"Well first we have to deal with the bandit situation. When we deal with that...we'll compromise when we get back home. Deal?" I proposed. The others nodded in agreement.

"Uh...guys? It's something wrong?" We heard Po ask. We all turned to see Po look at us confused and we tried our best to remain as causal as possible.

"Yeah, buddy don't worry. We just needed to...discuss stuff." I explained with a smile.

"So we're all good?" He asked.

"Yes. Now come on, we've got bandits to take care of." Tigress said taking the lead while we followed. I would normally go into detail about how we apprehended the bandits, I someone suspect that's not the real topic of discussion right now. I mean...wow, what a turn of events. I couldn't help but release a goofy smile. The reason being was...I guess the whole innocence of the situation. You could probably already guess by now that Po does have a mind like a child so he's usually clueless about most things...but even then, something like sex not being taught to him might affect on him in the future. So I guess it was only right to educate him on the subject. This is gonna be a long awkward day.


	42. Chapter 42

_Chapter 42: the truth_

After walking on the road for sometime, we came across where the bandits were hiding out and managed to apprehend them. On the way back to the Valley, I pondered how the situation revolving around our panda friend should be handled. The idea of allowing Mantis to teach him about sex was defiantly a no no. That perverted bug would scar him for life with his idea of reproduction. Maybe Mr Ping could tell him. After all, he is his dad and he should have told him anyway. Although he might have been reluctant to do so, probably due to just how awkward to conversation would be. I know my mother felt the same way. When she told me about sex I couldn't look at girls the same way again. I guess I should get back on track here. When we arrived back at the Valley, we delivered the bandits the the guards barracks. Jian and Kai thanked us before turning them into cells. We left the barracks and waited outside to discuss our next step involving Po. But first we needed to get rid of him so we could talk in private.

"Po, why don't you head back up to the Palace and give us all a minute to talk." Viper suggested with a warm smile.

"Okay. See you guys later!" Po chimed as he took off towards the Jade Palace. Once he was out of sight, we were all finally able to talk.

"Alright, guys, I think there's no choice. Someone's gotta tell him." I spoke up.

"We'll it's not going to be me. There's no way having that kind of awkward talk." Monkey said while shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'm with Monkey. That's certainly a conversation I'd rather avoid having." Crane spoke up.

"Well...why don't we ask Mister Ping to tell him?" Viper suggested. "After all, he is his dad."

"I was kinda thinking the same thing. But we still actually have to ask him to teach Po about sex and even that conversation is gonna be awkward." I said. "But still, someones gotta ask him. So...any volunteers?" The guys all shared glances as a short silence insured. And after while, I finally decided to just speak up. "Fine, I guess I'll go ask."

"You're a braver man than any of us." Monkey joked as he patted my shoulder. I rolled my eyes.

"Just keep Po preoccupied while I go and ask."

"That won't be too hard. A ball on a string should keep him distracted for a year or two." Mantis joked.

"Good. I'll see you guys later." I said as I walked in the opposite direction of my friends. Ah geez this is gonna be one uncomfortable conversation. At the very least I've gotten to know Mr Ping very well since Po's arrival at the Jade Palace so conversing with him is always great. I often come by to say hello and help out in his shop. He really is a great father to Po and a great man all together. He certainly is a wonderful addition to my life. Shame that's all going down the shitter once I ask him to educate his son about sex. I mean, what the hell am I suppose to say? 'Hi, Mr Ping, can I bother you for a moment to talk about an awkward topic?' It looks like I'd have to figure it out what to say soon, for I soon found myself outside Mr Pings shop. I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts before stepping through the archway door. Much like any other day, the shop was lively with customers. They were all sitting while they ate their meals and conversed. And further into the shop, I could see Mr Ping speaking with a customer from his kitchen. As I dwelled into his shop, I was greeted by the villagers with a small bow and a 'good afternoon, master' to which I reciprocated. I finally reached the counter and Mr Ping had finished speaking with the customer. Once Mr Ping laid his on upon me, he released a warm smile.

"Ah, Ben! It's good to see you again." He greeted happily. His friendly greeting brought a smile to my face.

"You too, Mr Ping. How you doing?" I asked.

"Just wonderful, thanks for asking. So, what brings you around here?"

"Well I was wondering if we could talk about something. Your son to be more exact."

"Po? What about him? Is he alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Of course, he's doing great. It's just...I need to ask you something. So could we...?" I gestured towards an empty table indicating that we should sit down. Mr Ping exited his kitchen as sat on a stool by the table. I joined him by sitting on a stool opposite to his.

"Okay, so what do you want to ask me about Po?" He asked. I laid one hand on the table and scratched my head with the other.

"Well...it's kind've a...awkward question, but I do need to ask it."

"Oh come on now, you can ask me anything. Nothing can shock me." I took a deep breath before bringing my hands together on the table.

"Mr Ping, will you teach your son about sex?" I asked bluntly. In response, his eyes widened and his beak opened ajar and he sat silently. I couldn't help but feel like something was happening behind me. I turned to see the rest of the people in the shop gaze at me silently. Many had their spoons hovering in front of them as they stared at me with widened eyes. I could even see a female pig cover her child's ears while he ate obliviously. "Go back to your meals." I spoke aloud. They complied but I could still feel their eyes set upon me. I turned back to Mr Ping, only to see him still in his immobilised state. "Mr Ping, are you alright?" His eyes finally blinked and he shook his head slightly as he adjusted his hat with his wing.

"Yes...I'm sorry, but I'm just a little shocked." He uttered. So much for nothing shocking him.

"I'm sorry to brig up such a request, but Po really does need to know about reproduction." Mr Ping then sighed.

"I know, I know. It's just...I don't think I talk to him on such a topic. It'll just be too embarrassing!"

"I understand how you feel, but you're his father. He really should hear it come from you."

"I'm sorry, I-I just can't. Oh I'm a terrible father!" He exclaimed as her buried his face into his wings. I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I guess there really is only one other solution; me or the guys have got to tell him.

"You're not a terrible father, you just can't bring yourself to talk about such a topic. But don't worry, I'll eh...I'll make sure he's taught about...it." Mr Ping pulled his face from his wings and wiped away a tear.

"You will?" I nodded. "Oh thank you, thank you!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you later, Mr Ping." I said as I stood up and waved goodbye. Jesus, that was just a big fail. It really is now just inevitable, one of us has to tell him. Dear lord, please don't let it be me. After I left Mr Pings shop, I headed back up to the Jade Palace. I headed for the training hall and found everyone there except Shifu. He was probably out meditating somewhere. Everyone was at there usual stations except Monkey and Po, who were sparring. Once I stepped inside, I saw everyone turn to my direction.

"Oh, hi, Ben!" Po greeted as he waved. While doing so, Monkey took advantage of his state but leaping up and smacking Po in the back with his foot, bringing him to the ground. "Hey! No fair!" Po exclaimed. Monkey released a chuckle.

"Sorry, buddy, but I win." Monkey proclaimed as Po scurried to his feet.

"But I was saying hello to Ben! Anything during that shouldn't count!" Po pouted as he crossed his arms. I merely rolled my eyes and approached the two.

"Po, why don't you head to the kitchen. I think your father delivered a bunch of dumplings yesterday for us. How about you go for a snack break?" I proposed. Po perked up at he thought of snacks as he nodded rapidly before leaving. After watching him exit the hall I turned ahead of me to see the rest of the guys join me by my side.

"Well, will Mr Ping teach him about...it?" Crane asked.

"He said he couldn't do it and he just broke down in front of me. So I told him we'll do it." I replied.

"You have just sent us to our doom." Monkey said shaking his head.

"What else could I do? The man was practically in tears." I spoke defensively.

"We'll I'm not telling him. No way." Monkey said waving his hands. I turned to Crane who shook his head.

"'Me either." Crane added. I turned to Viper with begging eyes.

"I would...but...you know..." She uttered while she rubbed her head with her tail. I finally turned to Tigress who crossed her arms.

"Don't even think about looking over here." She said. I released an annoyed grunt as I rubbed my forehead. I really cannot believe this, I just cannot. With no one to tell him and only left...me.

"Oh Jesus Christ. I guess there's no other way. I'll fricken tell him." I finally said.

"You can do it buddy." Monkey encouraged. I took a deep breath and turned to exit.

"Screw it, here I go." I said as I headed for the door.

"He's so brave." I heard Mantis say before I left to hall. Guess there's no going back now. I probably shouldn't include whats about to be said but, I figure maybe everyone can benefit from it. I'll just try not to talk about it to much into detail. Just stuff that needs to be said. Well, here we go. No going back. I stood outside the kitchen and took in a few long breaths before entering. Once I entered, I heard various noises coming from the kitchen. I peeked inside and saw Po scavenging through cupboards. He stopped when he heard me enter and turned to meet my gaze.

"I can't find the dumplings? Are you sure my dad sent some up?" Po asked as he continued to search the cupboard he opened. I took a seat by the table and brought my hands together. "Oh a cookie!" Po said as he pulled out a cookie from the cupboard and threw it into his mouth.

"Po, could you sit down a moment?" I asked. He turned back to me and stopped mid crunch.

"Oray." He said with his mouth full. He closed the cabinet and took a seat beside me. He swallowed his cookie and sighed happily. "So, what's up, buddy?"

"Po, you remember the conversation we had earlier? About where babies come from?"

"Yeah, from the stork."

"Po...babies don't come from storks. They come from women." He cocked his head in confusion.

"What? I don't understand."

"You see Po, when...what are you looking at?" I asked noticing Pos expression. His eyes seemed to be gazing passed me. I followed where they were set on only find myself turning around and noticing the guys by the doorframe. "Would you all go away! This is awkward enough I don't need to guys listening in!" They quickly scurried away from the doorframe and down the hallway.

"Sorry!" I heard Viper shout before they left the building.

"Jesus Christ...anyway, where were we?"

"You said that babies come girls." Po reminded.

"Oh yeah. You see, a women has something called a womb, which is inside around here." I said pointing my finger to my lower abdomen. "And thats where an egg becomes fertilised, and that egg starts to become a baby during the period of nine months."

"But...how do those eggs become 'fertilised'?"

"Well...you see, a man has a reproduction organ called a penis and a women has a reproduction organ called a vagina. When a man and women are deeply in love...they make love." I left Po process what I said before he spoke again.

"You mean to man...puts his-"

"That's right. After making love for sometime, the man will produce something called sperm, and that sperm fuses with the egg, which is a process called fertilisation. From there the baby develops in the womb until the ninth month where the baby is pushed out of the womb and vagina, and is born." Po averted his gaze and began to ponder about everything I just said. "So, do you understand now?" I asked. He gave a small nod.

"I...I think so. I never knew...about any of that stuff. It's kind've a lot to take in."

"I understand, buddy. Take all the time you need to think about it."

"Alright. Thanks for telling me."

"Of course. I'm gonna head back to the training hall. You join us when you're ready." I said patting his shoulder. I then stood up and left the kitchen, and headed back to the training hall. To be honest, it wasn't as awkward or as uncomfortable as I expected. I actually quite proud for doing that. I know that may seem odd, but it was true. I'm glad Po finally knows. At least now he has an understanding about reproduction. Nothing really interested happened once I returned to the training hall. I just resumed training while the rest asked me how it went. Today may have been a little awkward and strange, but some good came out of it so I guess everything turned out okay. I just hope it doesn't happen again.

(Please leave a review!)


	43. Chapter 43

_Chapter 43: origins_

It's been about three weeks since I taught Po about reproduction. As you could imagine, Po still had a few questions about it and I was happy to answer them. It's good he finally has a full understanding of the subject. God knows about it would have affected him in the future if he remained oblivious to it. Anyway, I'm glad he finally knows. Today was Saturday and I had just woken up from a wonderful nights rest. I sat up from my bed and released a long yawn before standing up and throwing on my vest. I gazed over to my cupboard and my eyes fell upon a mirror that I acquired some time ago. I walked over to it and lifted it up to look at my reflection. I've certainly changed since I first arrived here. My hair had gotten longer and I had tied it back into a sort've Qui Gon Jinn fashion. I've also grow a chin strap attachment to my goatee. And to be honest, I didn't look half bad. I developed a particular fondness towards this appearance. I released a small smile before I gently laid my mirror back onto my cupboard.

"What to do today..." I mumbled to myself as I opened the doors to my room. Once they were opened, the first sight to be seen was Tigress, who was sitting on her bed in her room while she held something in her paws. "Oh, hey Ti, how you feeling today?" I asked standing by her doorframe. She dragged her gaze from the object in her paws and laid them on me.

"Ben, hello. I'm...I'm feeling okay." She replied in a hush tone while she turned her gaze back to the object in her paws. I entered her room and took a seat beside her on her bed.

"What's that you got there?" I asked observing her twiddle the object in her paws. She stopped shifting it from one paw to another and lifted it for me to see.

"It's a domino piece. It...it was a gift." She explained. I raised a brow.

"That's a...pretty strange gift. Who gave it to you?"

"My father. When he first came to see me at the orphanage."

"I see. Are you're feeling a little nostalgic or something?"

"Seems like an appropriate feeling to experience. Considering that today's the anniversary of when he adopted me."

"Wait, really?" She nodded in response. "Well, why don't we go do something then? Maybe we could go out for a meal or something. I'm sure we'll have fun. We...Ti?" I halted my suggests as I notice Tigress seemed to...just stare at the domino piece, turning slowly with her fingers. "Ti, is something wrong?" She shut her eyes for a brief moment while also sighing.

"It's just...it's nothing." She turned away. I put my arm around her shoulder and stroke it slightly.

"Hey, come on now. You know you can tell me anything." She turned her gaze back to me and I smiled. She thought for a moment before looking back down at the domino piece.

"It's just that every year when this anniversary comes around, I'm reminded of my days at the orphanage. And when that happens, my thoughts shift towards...my parents. I just wonder where they are and why they left me as they did. All I want is answers." I took a moment to process what she said. She wants to find her parents? It's just strange because she's never mentioned them before. And I suppose considering the fact that she was left alone at that orphanage, she does deserve answers.

"Wow...well, have you ever tried...looking for them."

"I often think about it, but I just seem to shove those thoughts aside. I guess its because I wouldn't know what to say if I found them."

"I'm sure you'd think of something to say if you found them. Maybe...maybe trying to find them isn't such a bad idea." Tigress turned her gaze towards me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you said it yourself, you want answers and you sure as hell deserve to get some."

"I..I don't know.." She doubted averting her gaze once more. With my arms still around her, I pulled her closer and stroked her arm.

"Come on. I'll even come with you." Tigress turned back to me.

"You will?"

"Of course. I'll be by your side through this whole thing." Tigress released a smile as she wrapped her arms around my neck and began hugging me. I released a chuckled before I hugged her back.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"No problem. You know, for a warrior who's suppose to be the hardest of us all, you sure have a cute soft side."

"Oh shut up. You'll see just how soft I'll be in the training hall on Monday." She threatened.I merely chucked once more as I broke the hug.

"I'm trembling at the thought." I quipped. Tigress rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I guess...we should get prepared. I have a feeling this is going to be a long trip." I nodded in a agreement.

"Alright, lets get started." We both stood up and headed out the door. From there we both searched around the Palace grounds for Shifu. Once we found him, we informed him about the trip we had planned. He seemed a little saddened by the fact that Tigress wanted to search for her parents, but respected her wishes and granted us a leave. After that, we gather necessary equipment such as sleeping rolls for us to rest on, two tinderboxes to light a fire if we end up sleeping outside somewhere and finally some food, such as fruit, veg and some dumplings. With everything packed, Tigress and I set out to search for her parents. Heh, I guess you could say I'm going on an adventure! Oh Jesus, I apologise for that joke, that was just awful. Anyway, once we left the Palace, Tigress suggested we go to the Bao Gu orphanage to see if we could gather some information. We arrived there after walking for three hours. After walking past various house and farms, I believe the Orphanage came into view. It stood tall with ageing cobblestone in a tulou fashion. It was surrounded by beautiful landscape and tall trees that whistled in the wind. I noticed the top of a tree that emanated from the Orphanage. Ti and I stood idle by stone slabs that lead towards the building.

"It almost seems nothing has changed since I was here." Tigress spoke up walking slowly towards the building as I followed.

"I bet a lot of memories are coming back, huh?" I asked.

"Yes. Not all particularly happy either." She replied. She opened the double doors that lead into the building and we stepped inside. The first sight to greet us was children running around, playing and laughing. They're was a lot of of them too. All full of energy, smiling and playing games with each other. They all just looked so cute. I'm serious too. They're was ducklings, canine and feline cubs, calfs and so on. Oh Jesus, I sense a cuteness overload starting to form. Tigress gazed around the courtyard and observed the children. "Still full of life as always." She said.

"I'll say. God, they're just so frickin cute." I said smiling as I saw a couple of kids play hide and seek.

"I guess we should look for the head mistress." Tigress suggested.

"Alright, where should we start?" Tigress took a look around the courtyard before she started to head towards her right. I followed as she lead us inside a hallway. We headed down it, making sure to search each room we walked by for the head mistress. Upon searching for sometime, Tigress stood still in her tracks as her gaze seemed to be locked onto something. "Ti? Ti, are you alright?" I asked. She gave no response and instead walked slowly towards something. After following her gaze and soon found it set upon a large metal door, which was rather aberrant for this building. It just seemed so out of place. Tigress stood in front of the door and stared at it for sometime while she gently placed a paw onto it. She then used the other to unlock a bolt which was in a locked position. As Tigress began to open the door, she elicited a creaking noise. Once it was completely open, I was able to see what was inside. It was a small room which held nothing but an old bed which was at the too half of the room. There was a window with bars on it, allowing only fractions of sunlight to enter the small room. I watched quietly as Tigress stepped inside and stopped on the middle of the room. To turned around slowly, staring at the wall. Her eyes locked with the wall to her left and she took one step towards it, gently placing her paw onto it. This was just strange behaviour Tigress was showing. Did this room mean something to her? Actually, come to think of it, I remember she told me that when she was at this orphanage, she was confined to a room to stop her from hurting other children. Was...was this the room she was talking about? I stepped inside and noticed something I hadn't before. On the walls, there seemed to be faded marks of some sort. Upon further inspection, I found that they were claw marks.

"I spent so many hours in this room. So many days, just sitting down feeling miserable and empty." Tigress finally spoke up as she ran her paw down a claw mark on the wall.

"Certainly looks like a lot of anger was released here."

"There was. Almost every day. Just thinking about it...makes me remember...what a monster I-"

"Don't you dare say that, Ti. You are not a monster." I interrupted her. She finally turned towards me.

"So you say. But...what if that's why my parents left-"

"That's not be reason, Ti. So don't say that." I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're the kindest person I've ever met. You're sweet and helpful. Don't you forget that." She turned her gaze back to the walls and looked at the claw marks. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and began leading her out of the room. "Come on, you shouldn't stay here." Once we were outside the room, I shut the doors behind us. Not even a few steps out of the room and we bumped into someone. To be more exact, it was an old sheep. She wore brown robes with a fluffy collar and a pair of glasses.

"Oh, my apologises...wait a moment...Tigress? Little Tigress?" The sheep questioned.

"Mistress Huon, it's nice to see you again." Tigress replied.

"Oh my goodness, what a pleasure to have you here again. It's wonderful to see you again, deary. I see you've brought a friend." The sheep said noticing me.

"Yes, this is my friend Ben."

"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am" I said politely.

"You too. So tell me, what brings you back here after so many years?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could possible get some information about when I first arrived here. Anything that might help me track down my parents." Tigress explained.

"Of course. I'll help you anyway I can. Come with me." Mistress Huon said leading us into a room which was a couple of feet from where we stood. The room we entered wasn't large but certainly wasn't small either. There was a desk with a quill and inkwell on it as well as various pieces of paper. There's was also a couple of cabinets which seemed to hold blankets and such. Mistress Huon entered through another door which she began scavenging for something. "Ah, here we are." She spoke from within the room. Shortly after searching for something, she exited the small room and set a small basket onto her desk.

"What is this?" Tigress asked.

"This, my dear, was the basket that you were resting in when I found you on the orphanages doorstep. And this," The sheep said lifting a note from the basket, "was in there with you." She handed it to Tigress, who began reading it aloud.

"Please take care of our Tigress and please keep her safe. She means everything to us." Tigress turned the note over again and again before finally stopping. "That...that's it? Surely there must be more." She said to Mistress Huon.

"I'm sorry, buts that's all there was." Tigress stared back down at the piece of paper with a frown as her ears flattened against her head.

"There's gotta be something else that can help us find her parents." I spoke up. The old sheep thought for a moment before turning her gaze towards the basket.

"Well, there might be something..." Tigress's ears perked up at the ray of hope.

"What?" She questioned. Mistress Huon picked up the basket and adjusted her glasses, and began to inspect it.

"If memory serves me correct, I believe the make of this particular type of basket is only native to a certain part of China. If I'm correct, there might be a chance for you to find your parents."

"Okay, see can you determine where this basket is from?" I asked. The sheep craned it slowly before drawing a conclusion.

"Mmmm...this looks like authentic work by the people from Giojin. Do you know where that is?"

"North of here. Probably a days travel." Tigress replied. The sheep nodded.

"That's right. I believe that's all the hell I can provide I'm afraid."

"Believe me, you have done more than enough. Thank you, Mistress Huon." Tigress said.

"Of course. You are Always welcome anytime. Goodbye!" She waved as Tigress and I left to find this 'Giojin'.

(please leave a review! by the way thanks for spotting that mistake Epsilon Vindicare. I'm such an idiot)


	44. Chapter 44

_Chapter 44: felines and water_

Tigress and I and left Bao Gu in search for this town called 'Giojin.' To be honest, I've never heard of this place. Over the months I've been here I've pretty much memorised most counties and towns around China, yet I've never heard of his place we were heading to. Tigress, however, seemed to have some knowledge of it, so I decide to ask her about it. At the moment she was studying a map she brought to select a route for us to take.

"So, Ti, this town we're heading to, where have you heard about it before?" I asked. She pulled her gaze away from the map and towards me.

"I saw it on a map some time ago. Strangely, I've never been there myself. According to most people, it's a ghost town." She replied.

"So what's the best route there?" I asked gazing at the map. Tigress turned her eyes to it as well.

"I am unsure. There certainly seems to be a couple. However, some are longer than others. I believe I need sometime to figure out where we're going." She replied using her finger to point out various routes from where we were right now.

"Well, why don't we rest for a moment. We have been walking all day and we still need to pick a route to follow."

"Well...I suppose. Come, we'll find a spot to rest in there." Tigress said pointing to a forest that was ahead of us. From the outside of the forest, I could could make out a dirt path that led into it as well as a variety of different trees living there.

"Alright, but if I see anything that looks like slenderman, I'm running for the hills." I said walking towards the forest alongside Tigress.

"Slender-who?" Tigress questioned confusingly.

"Ehhh...never mind, lets just find a place to rest." We both then followed to dirt path that led into the forest. And let me just say, this place was really beautiful. With the sun slipping through the cracks of the leaves on trees, their outline sun brightly, displaying its beauty. There was a lot of plant life growing beside the dirt path too. Now if I'm really honest, I'm not one for walking through the woods. For some reason after watching over six hundred horrors that centre around a forest for some reason makes me a 'little' skeptical to ever enter one. But at this moment, all I could think of was just how beautiful nature was. Ti and I continued down the dirt path until we came across a unique location. If I were to guess, I'd say we were in the centre of the woods. There was a small bed of grass that stood beside a large lake that received its water from a large waterfall that glistened in the sunlight. Standing at the verge of the lake, was an old oak tree with a large truck which provided a fraction of shade in the lake with its large branches. I'm mean Jesus, this looks like something Bob Ross would paint.

"Wow...it's quite beautiful." Tigress admitted.

"You can say that again. Man, this place is amazing." I said approaching the lake. I laid my backpack that I was carrying on the ground next to me as I dragged my right hand through the water. "I guess we could rest here for a while. It's a lovely spot and I fancy a bit of a swim."

"Alright. I'll work on where we're going from here." She said as she laid her back pack on the ground next to mine and took a sit next to the lake. She pulled the map from here pocket and laid it in front of her. I began heading over to the old oak tree that rested by the lake and I started to remove my vest. Once it was off, I pulled my undershirt off with one hand and rested them both on a branch on the oak tree. I leaned against the tree for support as I began removing my shoes and socks. Once they were off, I finally pulled off my pants and placed them beside my vest and undershirt. Thankfully it was warm out today to I wasn't cold in my underpants. As I turned towards the lake, I couldn't help noticed out of the corner of my eye that it almost look like Tigress was just...gazing at me strangely for a brief moment. Was she watching me...nah it was probably nothing. I began to enter the lake slowly, using my leg to determine just how deep it was, and to my surprise I found it to be quite deep. I dropped in quickly, expelling large ripples as I did so. I released a satisfied sigh as I basked in the cool water.

"Oh man, it's frickin nice in here." I spoke up as I began to swim around the lake.

"I could only imagine." Tigress said, not lifting her head from the map.

"Why don't you join me? A bit of a swim will do you good." She shook her head.

"No thank you. I'm still trying to figure out where we're going."

"Come on, you can do that later. Just come on in for a quick swim."

"No!" Tigress responded quickly, speaking with a rather loud tone. I frowned as I believe I may have offended her in same way

"Whoa...alright, I'm sorry, no need to get mad." I apologised. Tigress sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like in such a manner. I just...I'd like to focus on the map for now."

"Alright, sure, whatever you want." I continued to swim around the lake as my gaze would occasionally fall onto Tigress. Jesus, why did she get a little mad for such a harmless suggestion. What, was she afraid of getting a little wet? I stopped swimming as a little idea began to construct itself in my mind. Once it was complete, a mischievous smile crept a cross my face. "Oh shit! Goddamn!" I exclaimed holding my hand and shutting my eyes when I did. I opened one as saw that I had immediately caught Tigress's attention.

"What's wrong?" Tigress asked concerned.

"I-I think I cut my hand on something. Oh god this hurts so much." I lied trying to suppress a smile.

"Come over to me. I'll see if I can patch it up for you." Tigress said pulling out bandages from her back pack. I slowly paddled towards her holding my 'cut' hand under the water while I expelled painful hisses. Once I reached her, she held out a paw. I rested my left arm on the bank of the lake and began pulling my right hand up, making sure to shield my palm. I held it out in front of me and Tigress gently held it with her paws. Once she had a grasp on me, I opened my palm. Tigress stared at it confused. "You don't have a-"

"Gotcha!" I shouted taking her by surprise. I grabbed her arm and pulled it towards me, causing her to released a surprised yelp as she plummeted in the lake. I quickly swam away from her and began laughing, knowing full well that she was gonna kick my ass. Once I reached a safe distance, I turned myself around and waited for Tigress to ascend from the water while I continued to laugh. My laughter, however, began to diminish as Tigress was nowhere in sight. Oh crap she could be any where around me by now! I gazed over one shoulder and then another, feeling rather nervous at the fact that she could pop up anywhere. Suddenly, the water in front of me propelled into the air as Tigress shot up taking in a long breath. "Ha! Thought you could sneak up on...Ti?" I questioned. I had expected her to swim towards me in a blind fury, but instead it almost seemed like she was...struggling to keep her head above the water. My eyes widened and I gasped and only just realised she frickin drowning!

"Help!" She cried out.

"Hold on, Ti!" I began kicking my feet and swinging my arms, swimming quickly towards her. Once I reached her, I wrapped my arm around her a managed to get her on my back. She wrapped her arms around my neck and coughed violently, taking in as many breaths as she could. I swam over to the bank of the lake and allowed Tigress to climb onto it. I pulled myself out of the water as well. Tigress dropped onto her knees and continued to cough. I knelt down next to her and reached out. "Are you alright?" I asked placing my hand on her shoulder. She instantly threw it off a turned her head towards me with a furious expression.

"Why did you do that?!" She roared. I was a little taken back by her outburst but I still tried to give an answer.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just playing around, I didn't-"

"Playing around?! You could have killed me, you idiot!" She shouted. I frowned feeling a little hurt by her words but realised I deserved it.

"Ti...I'm really sorry.." I spoke sadly reaching out for her once again.

"Don't touch me." She spat turning her head ahead of her while wrapping her arms and tail around herself. I sighed as sat by the lake with my back to her. I felt hurt with the tone she used to speak to me with. Tigress has never raised her voice to me before. Even the first week when I was here, she never really yelled at me. I sat quietly, and turned to Tigress ever so often until finally I decided to speak up.

"Ti, I'm really sorry. I thought it would be funny and it wasn't. Can you forgive me?" I asked turning towards her. She sat silently for a short moment before she sighed and turned to me.

"I suppose. I'm sorry too for yelling at you. I guess I should have told you that I couldn't swim."

"If I had known, I wouldn't have done what I did. So...you can't swim?" She rubbed her arm and turned her whole body towards me.

"No. It's something I never really got around to learning. I...had a bad experience with water when I was a child."

"Really?" She nodded. I scooted closer towards her. "What happened?"

"When I was seven...I tried to run away from the Jade Palace."

"What? Why?"

"Because I was tried of everything. Tired of not being loved by a father who was never pleased with my efforts. So I tried to run away. I was hardly outside the Valley before I fell into a river stream. It was too strong for me to escape and I found myself being dragged down the stream, struggling to keep my head above the water. I feared that my life was about end as everything started to become dark."

"So how did you get out of there?"

"Master Oogway. He had followed me and saved my life. He sat me by the river bank and told me I shouldn't give up and run away, for a real warrior stays and fights the pain."

"That sounds like Master Oogway alright. And...you've never tried to learn how to swim since then?" She shook her head.

"I've...developed a fear of water since that day." She admitted. Jeez I can't believe I never knew that. Keeping something like bottle up for so long must have been a bitch. I know felines aren't naturally fond of water, but I figured someone like Tigress knew how to swim. Mmmmm...I think I have an idea.

"What...what if I taught you?" I proposed. She gazed at me confused.

"What?"

"I could teach you to swim. There's really nothing to it. What do say?" She began thinking for a moment turning to the water

"I..I don't know..." I stood up and crossed my arms.

"Come on. I'll be with you in there. You trust me don't you?" I smiled as I held out my hand. I looked at it for a moment before she laid her paw in my palm. I wrapped my fingers around her paw and stood her up.

"I do trust you." She replied while sighing." Okay, lets do this."

"Alright. And..." I opened my arms, requesting a hug. "No hard feelings for what I did?" Tigress smiled as she opened her arms. Before I could put my arms around her, Tigress used both of her paws to push my chest and caused me to fly backwards into the lake. I plummeted under the water and I quickly surfaced blinking rapidly to get the water out of my eyes.

"No hard feelings." Tigress said as she...no, she didn't did she? I couldn't believe what I just heard. Tigress just...laughed. I'm not kidding! She quickly covered her mouth as I chuckled.

"That's the first time I've her heard you laugh. It's quite adorable. You should do it more often."

"Oh shut up..."

"Come on, get ready for your swimming lesson."

"Alright, give me a few moments." So Tigress headed over to the oak tree and disappeared behind it. I just paddled around and waited patiently for her. After a short moment of swimming around I heard Tigress speak from behind the tree. "I'm...I'm ready."

"Ehh...are you gonna come out from behind the tree?"

"Well...I'm not wearing my vest or pants."

"But you are...covered up, aren't you?"

"Yes..."

"Then there's no reason to feel uncomfortable. Come on, don't be shy."

"Alright..."

"That's the spirit. There's no need...to...be..." I trailed off and found myself completely devoid speech. As Tigress stepped out from behind the oak tree wearing nothing but a pair of tan coloured panties and a sash around her chest. With no vest or pants, she was really...displaying quite a figure. She had such majestic curves and an hourglasses figure. And with the sash around her chest, you could...make out...errm...cleavage. Oh Jesus, please forgive for saying that! I-I couldn't help it, I-it's just so noticeable. I've never see her so exposed before. Her black strikes stopped just before her white fur, which came down from her neck, around her chest, around her abdomen and towards her...unmentionables. Oh for the love of god what's wrong with me! Why I'm a describing such things! Tigress stroked her arm nervously as she averted her gaze.

"Well...here I am." She said. I merely stared at her with widened eyes and my mouth open ajar. She Turned towards me and saw that I was staring at her. "Would you please stop staring at me." I shook my head and pulled myself out of my daze.

"I'm sorry...it's just...wow, Ti, you...you look good." I covered my mouth when I realised what I had just said and blushed. Tigress actually even blushed at my words too.

"I...um, thank you. Maybe we should get started."

"What? Oh yeah, sorry, sorry. Alright, just hop on in." Tigress stared at the water a took a small step back.

"This...this may sound...ridiculous, but...could you help me in?" She asked embarrassed. I gave a nod as I swam toward her and stood up at the shallow part of the water which was at the bank near where she stood.

"Just take my hands." I instructed as I held out my hands. She took a deep breath and did as I asked. As she placed her paws in my hands, I gently began to lead into the water. She released a shudder as she put both feet into the water. I've never seen her so afraid of something before. If anything, this made me want to help her even more. As I began to lead her further into the water, she looked like she was beginning to panic a little. And what completely freaked her out was when she almost tripped. She quickly acted by wrapping her arms around me and held on tightly. The part of the water we were in at this moment, only came up to to my chest, but because Tigress was smaller than me, the level of the water was at her neck. She released a few shaky breaths as she held onto me. To try and calm her down, I put my arms around her. "It's alright, Ti, don't be afraid, I got you." I whispered. She raised her head from my chest and stared into my eyes. I released a smile and placed my hand on the back of her head. She smiled as well and finally calmed down.

"I think I'm okay. Thank you..." She whispered back.

"No problem." Neither one of us spoke, as we just stood there in the lake with our arms around one another. With my hand placed on the back of her, I uncontrollably began to stroke it. My heart began to beat rapidly as I just stared into those eyes, that was the equivalent of the sun rising. Tigress removed one paw from my back and placed it on my chest. I believe I should mention that those strange feelings I had developed for her a few months ago, were now beginning to act up. I..I really didn't know what to say or do. Tigress, however, snapped out of her daze as she pulled away from my grasp.

"Perhaps we should begin the lesson." She finally spoke up.

"Y-yeah, sure. Okay, just um...just watch me do it first and try to focus on my movements when I do so." I instructed. She nodded as she took a step back towards the shallow part of the water. From there, I spent an hour teaching Ti how to swim and she certainly was a quick learner. I...I was proud of her. Not only did she learn to swim, but she also overcame her fear. And...forgive me, but I couldn't get a certain image out of my head. The image being...Tigress devoid of clothing. She just looked so...amazing. Oh Jesus Christ I'm such a pervert. Anyway, once the swimming lesson ended, Tigress and I pack out stuff up and continued on our search for her parents.


	45. Chapter 45

_Chapter 45: no greybeards up there_

After Ti and I packed up our equipment, we set out on the road again and continued our journey. Due to Tigress's swimming lessons, we didn't quite choice a path to take to get to Giojin. So as we were leaving the forest, Tigress and I studied the map together.

"Alright, we're almost outside the forest which around here." I said laying my finger on the point where we were going to be once we exit the forest. "From there, we seem to have various paths to take. So, any suggestions?"

"Well, most of these routes will bring us to Giojin, but they'll take days to get there." Tigress replied.

"So, which route do we take?" Tigress mumbled before focusing thoroughly before we both stopped just outside the forest.

"I believe there's only one route we can take which will bring us to Giojin by tomorrow."

"Okay, where?" Tigress took her eyes from the map and set them ahead of her.

"Up there." She pointed. I followed her finger and found them laying on a massive mountain ahead of us. I mean holy shit, they were huge. Near the peak of the mountain you could certainly make out snowy climate with harsh clouds hanging above it.

"Are you serious?" Tigress nodded in response.

"Yes. We follow a path up the mountain and it'll bring us around it. Then we'll be in Giojin in no time."

"Well if you're sure it'll get us to your parents faster, then lets do it."

"Alright, lets get moving." Tigress said folding the map up and putting back into her pocket.

"So...Ti, have you figured out what to say when you meet your parents?"

"Not entirely. I guess I'll begin by asking them why did they leave me and I hope I can figure out what to say after that."

"Don't worry, you'll know what to say." Tigress smiled.

"I hope so. Ben, I'm really grateful you encouraged me to do this and for coming along with me."

"Of course, Ti. You know I'd do anything for you."

"Thank you. And you should know that I would do anything for you too." I smiled at her words.

"Thanks, Ti." As we walked towards the mountain a short silence ensured before Tigress asked me a question.

"Ben, I hope you don't mind, but may I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Well, I was wondering if you could talk about your parents. You've told me little about your mother and nothing about your father. I just wondered if I could hear about them." To be honest, talking about my parents really got me down, especially talking about my shithead excuse for a father. Don't get me wrong, I believed I could share anything with Tigress. But it was just this particular topic that I wanted to keep to myself. But, I guess considering that we're already on the topic of parents, maybe sharing wouldn't be so bad.

"Well...alright. You already know that my mother...passed away, but I never really told you much else about her. God, Tigress, she was just a wonderful women. She was so caring and loving. She really cheered me up on dark days. Not like my father though. Jesus I still remember that prick. He left me when I was four. And even at such a young age, I still remember the beatings. I had to endure so much pain it was just unbearable. When he left me and my mom, I was so depressed all the time. And just to make things worse all the kids inside and outside school bullied the shit out of me. The only person that made me smile once and a while was my mom. So...when I lost her...I...I tried to...kill myself." I admitted lowering my head and shutting my eyes. I heard Tigress release a small gasp.

"Oh my god..." She uttered.

"I know. I was just so upset and so alone, all I wanted to do was end it all. So I walked into my kitchen, grabbed a knife and brought it to my wrist."

"Did...did you stop yourself?" Tigress asked. At this point, I felt shame and sadness overwhelm me as tears began to form.

"No. I went through with it. I cut my wrist. God, the blood was frickin everywhere. And soon enough, I found myself becoming faint and I really thought it was the end. My eyes closed and everything just went dark."

"What happened?"

"I just woke up. The cut didn't even kill me, it just knocked me out. When I woke up my wrist was covered in dry blood and stopped bleeding. Heh, I couldn't even do myself in right. Theres almost something funny about that..." I said wiping the tears from my eyes as I stood there silently with Tigress standing behind me. Neither one of us said anything as I just tried to fight the tears. Suddenly, I felt something press against my back. I then looked down at my waist and found Tigress's arms wrapped around me tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Ben. I didn't mean to bring up such a painful memory. I'm so sorry." She whispered. My tears started to disperse with Tigress's comforting approach. I reached down to her paws and entangled my fingers with hers. I stood there with her for a while until I turned to my friend with a smile.

"Thanks, Ti. I appreciate your kindness."

"Of course. Now come on, lets get moving." I nodded as the two of us continued along the path towards the mountains. In a way, I feel a little better for expressing my emotions opening. I guess you could say it was cathartic release. On the way up to the mountains was a harsh trip but unfortunately it only got worse. As we neared the middle of the mountain, a fierce wind developed along with a blizzard of snow. Tigress and I had to stay close to one another on the way up, so we wouldn't be separated. At this very moment, we were traveling on a very flimsy and narrow path that was dangerously close to the side of the mountain. If either one of us fell, we'd be dead. So as you could imagine there was no pressure. We both pushed against the harsh conditions and seemed to be progressing forward.

"Just keep pushing through, Ti!" I shouted through the loud whistling wind.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" She shouted back.

"No need to be a smartass about it!"

"Just don't stray away! We gotta-" Tigress was cut off as she released a surprised yell. I gasped as she slipped off the edge.

"Tigress!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I quickly grabbed her paws as she dangled off the edge. "Don't worry I got you!" I assured as I began pulling back onto solid ground. She quickly pulled herself back to my side.

"My backpack! It fell off!"

"Dot worry about that now, we gotta keep moving!" I grabbed Tigress's paw and took the lead. I shielded my eyes with my hand, stopping the snow from blinding my vision. To our luck, I spotted what looked like a cave embedded into the mountain. I pushed towards it while I still held onto Tigress's paw. My heart filled with hope on my suspicions were confirmed and I entered the cave with Tigress. "Oh thank god. Are you alright, Ti?"

"I'm fine, but I lost my backpack."

"The important thing is that your safe. I don't think we can go out there for a while. We might have to spend the night in here."

"We'll freeze to death."

"No we won't. We have tinderboxes and I'm sure there might be something we have that we can burn." I assured. I dropped my backpack and the floor. "So...where are the tinderboxes?"

"There were...in my backpack." Tigress said. My eyes widened.

"Are...are you serious?" Tigress nodded in response. "Oh shit. What are we gonna do?"

"I'm unsure. But it certainly is cold."

"How are you cold? You have fur."

"Yes, but my clothes are still a little damp, due to mysterious circumstances..." Tigress said annoyed as she narrowed her eyes at me. I rubbed my neck sheepishly.

"Alright, alright. We'll we have to do something."

"What?" I began stroking my chin thoughtful and tried to think of something. After a short time, I...um come up with an idea.

"Well, both our bodies are always producing heat, so what if...we...eh..." I trailed off as I brought my hands together. Tigress stared and me confused.

"I don't follow."

"Oh Jesus, what if we...you know...huddle together." I finally said. Tigress blinked rapidly with a blank expression.

"Huddle together? You mean...push our bodies against one another?"

"Eh...yeah..." I replied blushing. Soon enough, Tigress's cheeks lit up as well.

"Well, we don't seem to have any other choice."

"Alright then. So how do you want to do this?"

"I think it'll be best if we face one another and...put our arms around each other."

"Okay. Let me get my sleeping mat out so we have something to lay on." I said. I knelt down and opened my backpack. I then pulled out my sleeping mat and unrolled it before laying it onto the ground. I laid down on my side and look up towards Tigress. She had her arms crossed with uncertainly and nervousness in her expression. God I know the feeling. "Well...come on." Tigress sighed as she approached the mat. She sat down before laying down and faced me. "Okay, let me just move around here..."

"Hey, easy!"

"I just need to get my arms around you..."

"Move over a bit so I get mine around you." Before our arms were wrapped around one another, I removed my vest and placed it over the both of us for it to act as a blanket. After shifting around and enduring awkward movements, we both managed to get our arms around one another. However, there was still a short little distance between us.

"There, comfy?" I asked.

"Not really. There ground isn't exactly comfortable to lie on."

"Alright, hold on." I removed one arm from around her a slipped it under her head, for it to act as a pillow. "How about now."

"Yes, thank you."

"No problem. Try get some sleep." I said before shutting my eyes. I heard her sigh before she shifted slightly and finally settled. Not even a minute past before I felt Tigress shaking. I opened my eyes and saw that she was shivering. Such a sight made me feel guilty so I did what I had to. I pulled her closer towards me and pressed myself against her. Her head was now under my chin, resting on my upper arm and her body was pressed against mine. I had expected her to object, but instead she nestled herself into my neck. I couldn't help but release a smile as I shut my eyes and tried to get to sleep.

(please leave a review!)


	46. Chapter 46

_Chapter 46: reunited_

I groaned aloud as my eyes began to creak open. After blinking slowly for a while, my eyes came into focus. Once I found myself fully awake, I felt something warm striking my chest. I looked down only to find Tigress snuggled up against me, breathing silently into the hem of my undershirt. I couldn't help but smirk as I found this whole scene to be just adorable. With my arm around her I reached up her back and gently stroked the back of her head. In response, she stirred slightly while she released a quiet moan before pushing against me with a smile. Oh Jesus that's just so cute. I carefully pulled my arm from under her head and from her back. I grabbed her arms and pulled them off me as I propped myself onto one knee. I leaned down and picked up my vest, and covered her up. I crept over to my backpack and began searching for the food bag. Once I found it, I pulled out the small sack which contained the food. I opened it up and pulled out an apple before putting the sack back into my backpack. I then quietly walked past Tigress and headed over to the caves exit. Once I made my way over there I gazed outside. Thankfully, the harsh climate seemed to have diminished and it looked like we'd have no trouble getting to Giojin. With no snow falling from the sky, I got a good view from the land below this massive mountain. My god, what a sight. I could see various towns, distant from one another in the distance and if I squinted my eyes I could even make out the Valley as well as the Jade Palace. I stood there for sometime, eating the apple and enjoying the view, before I heard noises from behind me. I gazed over my shoulder and saw Tigress was beginning to wake up. I smiled as I turned towards her and leaned on the entrance of the cave.

"Morning, sleepyhead." I greeted. Tigress sat up as she rubbed her eyes and laid them on me.

"Good morning." She greeted back while she yawned.

"You certainly look refreshed. How you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine, thank you. How about you?"

"I'm good, thanks. I hope you slept well."

"I did. I must admit, you make quite a pillow." She smirked playfully. I merely rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, as long as you rested well, that's all that matters." Tigress stood up, holding my vest and headed towards me.

"Here you go." She smiled as she held it out. I threw the apple core off side of the mountain and took my vest from her grasp.

"Thanks." I slipped my arms into the sleeves and fastened it tightly. "So, ready to leave?"

"Yes, lets go." I then grabbed my backpack as we both left the cave. We continued along the path in the mountain and soon enough, we found ourselves descending down a path on the other side of the mountain. As we followed a path that was heading towards Giojin, I felt like I should talk about what happened on that cave. I guess you could say it was a really awkward experience and granted it was, but surprisingly, it was only slightly. If anything, I...kinda liked it. To me, it almost felt magical, holding Tigress and having her so close to me. It certainly took my emotions on for a wild ride. I mean, my heart was beating frickin fast. My stomach started acting up strangely and overall, I just wanted to giggle. What were these feelings? Why would they only act up around Tigress and not someone like Crane or Viper? Man, I just want some answers. Anyway, enough of my emotional confusion, I guess I should get back on track here. I think it's been an hour or so since we followed the path from the mountain. Within that time, the clear skies had now turned into grim looking clouds that looked like it was ready to start releasing rain at anytime. Once Ti and I reached the top of a hill, she stopped in her tracks and I stopped along side her.

"We're...we're here." Tigress said looking at a small town in the distance.

"You ready, Ti."

"I...I am. I'm just little nervous."

"That's a rational thing to feel. Just remember that I'm gonna be by your side." Tigress took a deep breath before we continued along the path.

"Alright. Let's find my parents." We headed towards to small town and...wow, when Tigress said this was a ghost town I thought she was just joking, but Jesus, this whole place looked abandoned. Houses and boarded up windows and doors. They also looked like they haven't been occupied in years. To my surprise, there was actually people here. Not a lot though. There was only about three or four people shuffling through the streets and they looked rather old too. Tigress and I dwelled through the streets and we both decided to ask someone for information about Tigress's parents.

"Excuse me, sir could we am you a question?" I asked a man who was about to pass us. He completely ignored me and just continued on his path.

"Miss, may I..." Tigress trailed off as the women she was speaking to just ignored her too.

"Not often we get many visitors here." I voice chimed. Tigress and I turned to a house which an old goat sat by on a porch.

"Um, hello there. We were wondering if we could get some information on something." I spoke up.

"Of course. Come." The old goat gestured to two empty seats beside her. Tigress and I complied to request as we took a seat next to her. "Now, how may I be of assistance?"

"We were wondering if you could tell us about some people we're looking for. Two tigers to be exact." Tigress explained.

"Tigers you say? Mmmm...hold on a moment..." The goat trailed off as she stared at Tigress. "No...it cannot be...are you...Tigress?" She asked surprised.

"How...how do you know my name?" Tigress asked shocked.

"I knew your parents."

"You did?" Tigress asked with her face full of hope.

"I certainly did and I remember you. Your parents were such loving and caring people."

"Loving? They abandoned me."

"You must understand, dear, they had their reasons."

"Well I want answers. Where are my parents?" Tigress asked looking out to the streets.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to tell you this but...your parents passed away a long time ago." I released a small gasp and turned to Tigress who had just as much despair in her expression.

"Wha...what?" Tigress questioned in a hush tone.

"I'm so sorry. It happened a long time ago. A week or so after they left you at the orphanage."

"Please...tell me what happened." Tigress pleaded. The goat took a long breath before she began her story.

"It was twenty five years ago when you were with your parents. This whole town was full of life. And you, oh my, you were an happy little baby. Always laughing and bringing a smile onto your parents faces."

"If things were so great, what happened?" I asked. The goat sighed sadly.

"One day, a few of the residents were diagnosed with a deadly sickness. At first, it was merely coughing and the feeling of fatigue but then it became worse. It killed people within a week and it started to pass onto others. And that's when your parents were diagnosed with the sickness. But before it could take drastic affects on them, they made the hardest decision of their lives. Which was saving you from the illness by leaving at the orphanage. When they returned here, the sickness began to worsen until..." The goat shut her eyes with a saddened expression. I turned to Tigress to see her face full of sadness as well.

"So what happened after that?" I asked.

"Those who survived the illness did the kindness of burying the dead. The residents began leaving as the years went by until it came down to me and a few others." When the goat finished her story silence filled the air. Damn...I can believe it. Tigress's parents...are gone. And I mere sickness killed them. God that's just so sad. I turned to Tigress who's expression was hard to describe due to it being so blank. I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Ti...are you alright?" I asked. She just stared at the ground blankly and gave no response. But after a short time, she raised her head towards the goat.

"Where were my parents buried?" She asked. The goat leaned forward and pointed up the road.

"Follow the road and find the towns cemetery. Look for gravestones with the names 'Kurha' and 'Misha'."

"Thank you." Tigress whispered as she stood up.

"Of course, my dear. Take care." Tigress and I then left the old goats porch and headed up the road. However, as we walked up the road, Tigress began to pick up the pace until eventually she began sprinting on all fours.

"Tigress, wait up!" I shouted as I picked up the pace. As I ran up the road, the dark clouds hanging in sky began to rain heavily. I threw up my hood as I ran and ran but couldn't catch up with Tigress, and soon enough, she disappeared from view.

(unfortunately, the youtube link I put here doesn't work. The song I put here is called 'Mad world rainymood' if you look it up on youtube, find the video which as the gears of war omen and listen to it while you read on to add effect.)

After running for sometime, I eventually arrived at the cemetery. My vision was little obstructed by the rain so I had to dwell through it to find Tigress. I searched and searched but couldn't seem to find her. After searching for sometime, I found her. She was standing alone in front of two gravestones, drenching in the rain. I slowly approached her until I gazed over shoulder and looked down at the two gravestones. One read 'Here lies Kurha; a loving father and husband while the other read 'Here lies Misha; a loving mother and wife.' I gazed over to Tigress only to see a blank expression, staring down at the graves. Seeing her soaking in the rain brought a frown upon my face. I unfastened my vest and threw it around her, and threw up the hood to cover her head. God I really wished she say something, just to let me know she's okay. I remembered I said I would be there for her on this trip and I believed it was time to live up to my words. As I stood behind Tigress, I wrapped my arms around her chest and rested my head on hers, and just stood there with her.

"I'm so sorry, Ti. I'm so sorry." I whispered. Tigress reached up and held my hand while she pushed against me for support. I stood there in the rain with my best friend, and didn't let go. I was always gonna be there for her. Always.

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	47. Chapter 47

_Chapter 47: lost little girl_

A believe its been a few weeks since Tigress and I set out to find her parents. After we returned to the Jade Palace, we were bombarded with questions from the others. I think I just made up some bullshit story about us going on a mission or something, which they believed. The reason being is because Tigress wished to keep the trip to just between me and her. And Tigress...god, poor girl. She just hasn't been herself lately and who could blame her? Years of contemplating to search for parents and when she finally does...I just wished I could do more to help her. I often offer to see if i could help her in anyway, but she always declines. She doesn't smile, she hardly talks, I just don't know what to do. I guess all I could do for now is give her some time alone to sort things out by herself. Today was Saturday and for a change of pace, I decided to go out for a long walk. I mean a REALLY long walk. I was practically outside the Valley now. I wasn't alone though, Crane and Viper asked to join me because they fancied a walk too. I didn't object, I liked the company. As we walked through a forest on a dirt path, the two conversed about what not. I however, remained quiet throughout the walk. I was more focused on my thoughts than anything. I just thought about Tigress and our trip. More specifically, I was thinking about her swimming lesson and what we resorted to doing in the cave in the mountain. I really couldn't muster up the correct words to describe how I felt in those moments. They felt so powerful and made my stomach twinge in a good way. Being oblivious to my surroundings, I failed to realise that Viper had just ask me something.

"Ben? Ben, are you listening?" She asked. I shook my head and pulled myself out of a daze.

"Wha-huh? Sorry, what?"

"I said would you like to come to the Moon Festival at my village this year?"

"Uh...yeah, sure, sounds like it could be fun..." I replied in a hush tone.

"Ben, you feeling alright, buddy?" Crane asked with a concerned expression. I sighed in response.

"Truthfully, no, not really. My thoughts have been kind've troubling me for a while."

"Anything you'd like to share? We'd be happy to help you." Viper said.

"Yeah, you know you can share anything with us." Crane added with a smile. I looked at the couple, who looked at me with eagerness in their expressions. Would it be such a bad idea to discuss these unexplainable emotions I've developed for Tigress? I do trust them a lot, I mean I could share anything with them. But this particular topic...I wasn't sure I should. Although I really do need help explaining these emotions, so, screw it, I guess I'll tell 'em.

"Alright...it's about...Tigress." I began. Crane and Viper shared questionable glances before turning back to me.

"What about her?" Viper asked.

"Well, for the past few months I've kind've...been feeling a little strange around her." I continued. "What I mean is, I want to spend more time with her and I...I even sometimes...want to hold her." I blurted out while I blushed. I watched as the avian and snake looked at me confusingly before Crane nudged Viper with his talon.

"Told you something was up between them two." He gloated to which Viper merely rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what?" I questioned.

"Come on, we've all seen you two together and how you act around one another." Crane said. I cocked my head in confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You like her." He stated bluntly.

"Well...yeah, of course I do, she's my best friend."

"No, I mean you LIKE her." He said with a sly smile. I raised a brow and tried to process what he said. It then it me and I found my cheeks heating up like a furnace.

"Wha-no, I-I don't LIKE her! I just-" I could hardly get a word out as I found myself stuttering with every passing word. Crane chuckled as he matched my speed and put his wing around me.

"There's need to be embarrassed, buddy, we're not judging."

"That's right. I'm glad you've decided to be a little more opened-minded about being another species." Viper added with a smile.

"Guys, I don't LIKE her...at least...I don't think so."

"Really? Tell me, how do you feel when you're around her?" Viper asked.

"Well...happy, I guess. I'm always smiling and my stomach kinda acts up all strange like. And honestly, I feel like I want to giggle sometimes."

"Which means you like her. Believe me, I know those feelings too. It's how I felt around Viper for a long time." Crane said. I sighed.

"I don't know...I think I need some time to think about what you guys are saying."

"Of course. And we'll keep this conversation between us." Viper said. I smiled.

"Thank you." I slowed my pace as the two of them walked ahead, leaving me to my thoughts. That's certainly a lot of new information to take in. I mean, Jesus, they think I like her! That's just...just ridiculous...isn't it? When I really got down to it and reviewed Tigress and I's time together...it...it was a possibility. Honestly, she really is a sweet girl...a cute one if I'm completely truthful, but would I go as far as to say that I LIKE her? I...I don't think I can answer that question right now. The reason being...I just didn't know. After going around in circles in mind for some time, I stopped on my tracks as Viper and Crane stopped ahead of me.

"I guess we should start heading back now, we're pretty far out from the Valley." Viper said.

"Yeah, alright. Maybe the three of us could head to Mr Pings for a meal." Crane suggested.

"That sounds nice, how about...wait, what's that sound?" I said quieting down as I swear I heard something in the distance. Crane and Viper listened closely too. The three of us observed our surroundings until we were startled by a child's scream.

"What the..?" Crane questioned as the three of us turned to one direction.

"Get away from me, you big meanies!" A child's voice yelled. Instantly, a small figure darted across the dirt path ahead of us and shortly afterwards it was followed by...oh you gotta be kidding. The figure was being followed by...Jesus, Fung and his band of idiots. I guess I should mention that we've had a run in with these guys time and time again. And every time, we always stop them. It's gotten to a point where we don't even arrest them anymore, I'm serious! When you really get down to it, they're just a pack of morons who couldn't hurt a fly. Well, except Lidong. That massive block of steel is relentless when it comes to harming people. Right now, luckily, he was in prison due to him trying to raid the Valley some time ago. Anyway, as they were chasing the figure, they all seemed to be short of breath.

"Come...back her, girlie! We..we just...ahh! I got a cramp!" Fung exclaimed in pain. Gahri joined him by his side and placed a claw on his back.

"Easy now Fung, just take deep breaths. In and out, in and out."

"Hey, Gahri, could you just, like, um, move a little bit over here?" Fung asked calmly, gesturing for Gahri to step in front of him.

"Okay..." Gahri did as he asked pulling his claw from his back.

"That's right, just a little, tinsy, bit to the left, yeah that's good." After Fung finished his sentence, he punched Gahri hard into the face, causing him to fly into a tree trunk. "Don't touch me!"

"Hello, Fung." I greeted. All the crocs turned to us and immediately became nervous in our presence.

"Oh, uh, hey there, guy." Fung said, in a jittery tone. Crane, Viper and I approached them and stopped in front of them.

"Relax, guys, unless you've done nothing incriminating, then we won't have any trouble." I said crossing my arms. I then narrowed my eyes at Fung. "You haven't done anything incriminating have you?" Fung scratched the back of his neck.

"What? Of course not! We've been good crocs, I swear!" I raised a brow unconvinced, as I turned to Wall eye, who seemed busy picking his nose to pay attention to anything around him. I then smirked.

"Hey, Wall eye, you been up to anything lately?"

"Yup. We was chasin' a little girl who we're holding for ransom." He replied as he continued to pick his nose. He quickly stopped after realising what he said. "Oops." Fung dragged his claws down his face as he growled.

"I..I don't even." His claws shook violently before his snatched his helmet off his head and threw it onto the ground. "DARN IT!" He yelled.

"You kidnapped a little girl?!" Viper asked angrily.

"We were gonna bring her back...just as soon as her parents...paid a ransom." Gahri tried to explain.

"Oh you idiots are in for it now." I growled as I cracked my knuckles.

"Oh please no, I don't think we can endure another beating from you guys." Gahri pleaded.

"Then you all better start turning and running right now before my foot starts to connect with your asses." I threatened.

"Okay, okay. Come on guys, lets get the heck outta here." Gahri said. Before any of them could act, Fung punched Gahri in the face once again.

"Don't be wimps! Lets take these guys! Charge!" Fung ordered as they raised their weapons. I would go into detail about the fight, but honestly it wouldn't be worth the time. To sum it up, we kicked their asses, as you probably already guessed. They all picked themselves off the ground, groaning in pain as they began to flee. "We'll be back! And we're gonna, like, be more tough and stuff, you'll see! Oh go my ass hurts." Fung said as he held his ass in pain as he fled.

"I can't believe they kidnapped child." Crane said.

"We still need to find her. It looked like she fled into the woods there." I said pointing to our left.

"Alright, we'll spread out and search for her. She couldn't have gotten far. Poor girl must be scared for her life." Viper suggested. Crane and I nodded in agreement as we spread out into the woods. As I slowly walked through the woods, I began to call out for the little girl.

"Hey, little girl? Little girl? It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanna help." I stayed silent and listened for a response. After silenced answered, I called out once again before quieting down as I finally heard sometime. Straight ahead of me, there was a massive tree with an opening in the trunk. As I approached the tree, the sound of whimpering emitted from within. I knelt down by the trunk and peeked inside. There was very little room inside and the only thing occupying it was...a little vixen. She was wearing a vest similar to mine, except instead of it being white with red and black trims, hers was darkish green with black trims and was also absent of a hood. She also wore a wrap around her waist, which hung loosely on one side and finally a pair of black silk pants along with shoes. Her fur was a little ruffled as it was rather dirty and had dead leafs in it. In her arms, there was a little teddy bear with brown fur and button eyes. Upon further inspection, I saw that she was crying. "Hey there." I spoke softly. Her gaze upon me and she backed away, frightened. "Hey, it's alright, I'm not gonna hurt, I promise." She merely stared at me and grasped her teddy bear tightly. I just knelt there silently and waited for a response and after a while, I got one.

"You...you promise?" She asked with such a sweet little voice.

"I promise. Will you come out now?" I asked holding out my hand. She stared at it for a moment before she cautiously shifted forward and slowly reached out. Once her paw was in my palm, I gently wrapped my fingers around it and lead her out of the trunk. Once she was outside, she stood up and released her pulled her paw from my hand and held onto her teddy bear. "There we go, now, can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"

"My names Li." She whispered.

"It's nice to meet you, Li. My name's Ben." I smiled. She merely averted her gaze as she hugged her teddy. I knelt down in front of her and try to appear friendly. "Listen, I know you're scared, but I need you to come with me, okay?" She stared into my before she nodded. "Alright, follow me." I stood up and turned to leave. I stopped in my tracks and noticed Li wasn't by my side. I turned to see her still standing on the spot. "What's wrong?" I asked. In response she held out her paw, indicating she wanted me to hold it. "You want me to..oh, okay." I headed back over to her and took her paw before we both began leaving the woods together to regroup with Viper and Crane.

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	48. Chapter 48

_Chapter 48: our little guest_

I continued to walk through the forest while I held Li's paw. I looked down to the little vixen who began to observe her surroundings before she set her eyes on me.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"We're going to find two of my friends, then we'll bring you home with us to get you cleaned up. From there we'll work on getting you home, okay?" I replied. She nodded her little head. "So, Li, how old are you anyway?"

"I'm five and a half."

"Wow, you certainly are a big girl huh?" I asked smiling. She merely stared blankly as she blinked. I coughed as I awkwardly scratched my neck. I really don't know what to do here, I'm not exactly experienced with looking after kids. Guess all I could do was just try my best, right? "So...um, who's that little guy?" I asked pointing to her teddy. She looked at it for a moment before turning back to me.

"His name's Cuddles." She replied.

"Cuddles? That's a nice name. Where did you get him from?"

"My baba. He gave it to me so I will stop being scared when I'm alone."

"You get scared when you're alone?" She nodded as she frowned.

"Yeah...I guess I'm kind've a scardy-cat."

"What? Of course you're not. Being scared is a rational thing to feel when you're alone." I figured my words would cheer her up, but all she seemed to do was make her frown even more. "Hey, can I tell you a secret?" She raised her head to meet my gaze.

"Okay." I got down on one knee and faced her.

"I'm scared of being alone too." I admitted.

"Really?" I nodded.

"Yeah, it's one of my deepest fears. And it scares me a lot. But what helps me calm down is my friends. When I see them everyday, it makes me realise that I'm not alone. And I want you to know that you're not alone either. You got Cuddles there and you got me." I assured.

"And you're gonna look after me?"

"Of course. Now come on, we still have to find my friends." I said standing up and holding out my hand. She released a weak smile as she held my hand. I gave a little nod before turning ahead of me. As soon as I did, my eyes immediately fell upon Viper and Crane who seemed to have met up on the road ahead of me. I waved my empty hand in the air. "Guys, I found her!" I shouted. They attention turned to me as we all began to walk towards one another until we stood a short distance from one another.

"Oh, thank god. Are you okay, sweetheart?" Viper asked concerned. Li hugged my leg as she hid herself behind it before nodding.

"We should bring her back to the Palace and get her cleaned up. Then we can work on getting her home." I suggested. The two nodded in agreement.

"Alright, lets go." Crane said taking the lead as we followed. We left the woods and soon found ourselves back in the Valley around the time the sun was setting. On the way up to the Jade Palace, I had to carry Li when we were a quarter of the way up due to her becoming tired. Didn't bother me though, she was practically light as a feather. Viper even commented how cute she looked being hiddybacked on the way up. Once we reached the top, I set her down onto the ground and we all entered the Hall of Warriors in search of Shifu. And to our luck, we found him meditating by the reflecting pool. As we approached him, Li his behind my leg. Shifu's ear twitched and turned towards us when it did. He released a smile before standing up and facing us.

"Good afternoon, students, is there something you require?" Shifu asked.

"Well, there is something we need." I said looking down at Li. I gestured for her to show herself and she reluctantly did so. Shifu's eyes darted to her as she stood in front of me.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"Her name's Li. Fung and his gang kidnapped her in hopes of exchanging her for a ransom. Thankfully we stumbled across them and scared them off. And I figured, considering the circumstances, maybe she could spend the night and we can work on getting her home in the morning." I explained. Shifu stroked his beard thoughtfully before replying.

"I see...well, we are obliged to help those in need, so I suppose it wouldn't be an inconvenience. There the matter of who would look after her for the time being."

"I guess I could. She seems to trust me and I wouldn't mind." I spoke as Li joined me by my side.

"Very well. I would suggest you escort her our bathhouse. She does seem to be in need of one." Shifu noted. I looked down at Li and looked at the dirt in her fur.

"Don't worry, I'll show her. Come with me, Li." I spoke softly. She nodded as she took my hand once again. Oddly enough, I don't believe I've ever mentioned our bathhouse, or even the bathroom. I guess I sort've leave out what I do in these two facilities for obvious reasons. I suppose I should give you a description of the bathhouse. It wasn't actually a bathhouse, it was a hotspring which had barriers built around it for it to act as a bathhouse. Let me tell you, it is the most relaxing feeling being inside thing. It was near the bunkhouse, which at the moment, Li and I had just arrived at. The barriers were made of mahogany wood as well as the roof which was built in a corrugated manner. I opened the door that lead inside it and handed Li a towel which rested on a rack hanging on the wall next to the door. "Alright, you head inside and wash up. I'll leave for five minutes to give you little privacy, alright?" I asked. Li nodded in response.

"Will you hold Cuddles for me?" She asked holding him up. I couldn't help but smile before taking the bear.

"Of course. Now wash up and I'll be back in a bit." She took the towel in one paw as she stepped into the bathhouse before closing the door. I guess since I got some time to kill, I should see how Tigress's is doing. The only time I saw her today was this morning and even then it was a short conversation. I headed towards the bunkhouse, holding onto Cuddles. Once I entered I headed down the hall and peeked inside Tigress's room, which I was able to do so considering her door was open. And there was, in her usual meditating position. I leaned up against her doorframe. "Hey, Ti." I spoke up. Her eyes fluttered open, laying themselves on me as she released a weak smile.

"Good afternoon, Ben." She spoke softly.

"Just came around to see how you're doing." She sighed as she averted her gaze.

"I'm fine." I shook my head and entered her room before sitting on the ground next to her.

"You know if you want to talk about it, I'm all ears." I assured. Tigress turned back to me and I smiled. She shut her eyes and released a long sigh before reopening them.

"I've just been feeling down since...you know."

"I know, you've hardy said anything since we came back. Everyone's just worried about you."

"I appreciate your concern and everyone else's, but I just can't seem to lift the feeling of emptiness."

"I really don't know what to say, Ti, except...at least you know." Tigress turned to me.

"What...what do you mean?"

"I mean, at least you know what happened to them. You could have gone through life wondering where they were, but instead now you know what happened to them and you know why they left you as they did. Maybe you could take comfort from that." Tigress took time to process my words as she turned her gaze in front of her.

"I never really...thought of it that way. I suppose you're right. Thank you, Ben." She smiled and I returned with one of my own before putting my arm around her.

"No problem, Ti, you know I always got your back."

"I know you do. and I've got yours." she assured. Her eyes drifted from me and soon found themselves scrutinizing something. "Why do you have a teddy bear with you?" She asked. I looked that at Cuddles and showed it to her.

"Oh, that's Cuddles. He belongs to a little girl we brought back to the Palace." I explained.

"A little girl?"

"Yeah, long story short; Fung and his friends kidnapped her and tried to ransom her off. We scared them them off and brought her to rest up for the night, and work on getting her home in the morning."

"I hopes she's alright."

"Don't worry, she is. Ah god, Tigress, you got to meet her. She's the cutest thing you'll ever see. Actually I better get back to her." I said standing up and headed for the door but stopped when I reached it. "Now that you're out of your gloomy mood, will you be joining us for dinner." She nodded.

"Of course."

"Good, see you in a while then." I said leaving the bunkhouse. By this time, the sun had set and Po was surely making dinner as I speak. Once I reached the bathhouse, I saw Li waiting outside all cleaned up. "There we are, all nice and clean. Here you go." I said handing Cuddles.

"Thank you." She said hugging her teddy.

"Now, how does dinner sound?"

"It sounds nice. I'm really hungry." I chuckled as I gestured for her to follow me.

"Don't worry, my friend Po will fill up that belly in no time." I assured. I lead Li to the kitchen and sure enough, Po was making dinner which consisted of his signature noodle soup with everyone else aside from Mantis sitting at the table conversing. Once Li and I entered, everyone's attention turned to us.

"Hey, Ben!" Po greeted with a smile.

"Hey, buddy." I greeted back.

"You must be Li." Monkey said noticing the vixen by my side. She nodded. "It's nice to meet you, my names Monkey."

"And my name's Po."

"It's...nice to meet you." Li spoke in a hush tone.

"Pull up a seat and I'll get you two some noodle soup." Po said stirring a pot. I took a seat and patted an empty next to me, gesturing for Li to sit down. She understood and pulled herself up onto the chair.

"So, where's Mantis?" I asked. Monkey narrowed his eyes and raised a brow.

"That a rhetorical question?" He asked.

"Let me guess, bar?" Monkey nodded. "I would make a joke but I think I've run out of them at this point."

"So Li, can you tell us a bit more about yourself?" Viper asked changing the subject.

"Um...well, I live in a big house with my mama and baba. My baba has lots of money because he has a very good job."

"Really? I bet he buys you all the nice things you want."

"Sometimes, but I don't like to have a lot of things when other kids have nothing. So when my baba gets me new toys I don't need, I give them to other kids who don't have any."

"That's very kind of you, Li. I think I've ever met someone at a young age who's so considerate of others." I said ruffling the fur on her head playfully. She smiled when I did.

"What do you all do?" Li asked.

"Well, we protect the People of China, it's our duty and honour to do so." Viper replied.

"You mean like the Furious Six?" Li asked curiously. Each one of us shared a glance before turning back to Li.

"We are the Furious Six." I said. Li's eyes widened.

"You...you mean...?" I nodded with a smile. "Wow! My mama told me so many stories about you! This is the first time I've ever see you guys."

"She's starting to sound like Po." Monkey said with a smile. Speaking of our panda friend, it would seem he was just about done with the soup.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that excited...was I?" Po asked pulling the wooden spoon from the pot and turning to us.

"Oh, you were." I said.

"How you can you blame me, I'm a big fan of you guys! Anyway, soups ready!" Po chimed as he began filling up bowls.

"Could you pour an extra one, Po? Tigress is gonna be joining us."

"She is?" Monkey asked. I nodded. "Good, at least she's getting back to normal, I've been worried about her."

"We all have, so be polite when she arrives." Viper said.

"Order up!" Po announced, skilfully sliding bowls of soup from his arms onto the table and in front of us. Each one of us took a deep inhale through the nose, followed by satisfied sighs.

"Smells as good as always, Po." I complemented. He placed his paws on his sides and stood proudly.

"I do work magic." He spoke ever so humbly. The rest of us released a light chuckle before digging into our meals. Not long before we did, Tigress entered the kitchen and all eyes were set upon her.

"Hey, Ti, how you feeling?" Po asked. Tigress took a seat beside me before answering.

"I'm fine, Po, thank you for asking."

"So, what was eating you, Tigress? Anything you want to share?" Viper asked.

"Yeah, you know we're willing to listen." Crane assured.

"Just...some personal issues, nothing to worry about. I appreciate your concern none the less." Tigress said before turning to Li. "So you must be Li." Tigress enquired. After receiving a nod in response, Tigress released a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, my name is Tigress."

"Wait, Master Tigress?" Li asked with her mouth open wide. Tigress nodded in confusion. "Wow! My mama told me stories about you! You're my favourite of the six!"

"Well, well, looks like someone has a little fan." Viper said with a smile.

"Is...is it me?" Po asked with a mouth full of noddles. I brought my hand to my face and shook my head. For the rest of the night, we all continued to converse about what not until we had finished our dinner. Li expressed her gratitude for the meal and commented how great it was. Thankfully, Monkey rushed Mantis back to his room before Li could witness him yelled obscenities. Shortly afterwards, we all headed to the bunkhouse. While everyone retreated into their rooms, I showed Li where she was going to be sleeping, which was the room opposite to Po's and beside Tigress's. once I led her inside I lifted her up and sat her on the bed.

"Alright, here we are. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" I asked.

"May I have a blanket?" She asked.

"Well...we don't...really have blankets." I replied. I know that may seem strange, but it was true. Being reprieved of blankets is supposed to toughen us a little in cold conditions, which some what works I guess. Still, we have a young child who looks like she'll freeze if she doesn't have something to keep her warm. I may have an idea. I unfastened my vest and handed to her. "Her, wrap this over yourself tonight, it'll keep you warm." She nodded as laid down on the bed a placed it over her while holding Cuddles.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"No problem, Li. Goodnight." I said before leaving and entering my own room. I laid down on my bed, shut my eyes and began to ponder about today. So far, it's become one I won't be forgetting soon. I figured takin care of a child would be difficult but, thus far, I believe I'm doing okay. And truthfully, it's sort've giving me a nice feeling. I just hope we can get her home as soon as possible, she sure does seem to be missing her parents like crazy. I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to do anything. I released a yawn as I turned to my side and drifted of to...something's not right. It almost feels like someone's watching me right now. My eyes shot open only to reveal Li standing in my room staring at me with Cuddles in her arms. "Uh...hi?"

"I can't sleep." She spoke in a hush tone.

"Do you want me stay with you in your room for a while? Will that help?" I asked. She nodded in response and I got up. I stretched my arms before leading her back into her room. She climbed back onto the bed and I sat at the bottom of it. "Okay, now, try to get some sleep."

"I'll try." She said. She shut her eyes and snuggled up against her pillow. Soon she began to toss and turn before sighing in defeat and opened her eyes once again. "I can't do it."

"Well, how do you usually get to sleep?" I asked.

"My mama sings to me."

"Ah...well, um...I'm not sure if I-"

"Please?"

"It's just I-I'm not th best singer-"

"Please?" I opened my mouth to speak once again, but no words came out. I found myself silent as I looked down into those big eyes, that stared sadly, almost tearfully, at me. Goddamn she really knew how to work them eyes. I sighed in defeat.

"Okay...now I just need a song to sing." I brought my hand to my chin and thought carefully. What song could I sing? I suppose it should be that's nice. Something calm. I guess one song comes to mind. It's one my mother used to sing to me when I was little. I cleared my throated and looked down at the little vixen who was waiting patiently. I took a deep breath and began.

 _Come stop your crying_

 _It will be alright_

 _Just take my hand_

 _Hold it tight_

 _I will protect you_

 _From all around you_

 _I will be here_

 _Don't you cry_

Li laid there listening as her eyes began to close ever so slowly.

 _For one so small,_

 _You seem so strong_

 _My arms will hold you,_

 _Keep you safe and warm_

 _This bond between us_

 _Can't be broken_

 _I will be here_

 _Don't you cry_

Li's eyes were now struggling to stay open as I continued to sing.

 _'Cause you'll be in my heart_

 _Yes, you'll be in my heart_

 _From this day on_

 _Now and forever more_

 _You'll be in my heart_

 _No matter what they say_

 _You'll be here in my heart, always_

As I finished, Li began to breath silently with he eyes shut tightly. I released a inward chuckle as I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." I crept out the door and into my room. I laid down, shut my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

(please leave review!)


	49. Chapter 49

_Chapter 49: guardian_

I released a long dragged out yawn as my eyes began to flutter open. Once they came into focus, I sat up on my bed and stretched, feeling my arms relax causing me to sigh in relief. I gazed around me, searching for my vest before realising that our little guest had it. I smiled at the image of Li sleeping with my vest on her, finding it incredible cute. I got up off the bed and exited the my room. I headed down the hall and gently opened the door to Li's room only to see the little vixen sound asleep. I gazed down hall and noticed there wasn't much sound, suggesting that all the guys were in the kitchen getting breakfast. I guess I should wake her up for her to get some breakfast too.

"Oh...man..." A voiced groaned. Didn't take long to realise that it was Mantis's voice. I stepped out of Li's room and headed to Mantis's. I opened his door and was immediately greeted by the sight of a hungover bug.

"Morning, you bum." I greeted while I chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." He groaned as he held his head.

"Listen, we have a little girl with us. Fung and his friends kidnapped her and we're gonna help on getting home." I reiterated for him considering he was too drunk to take note of his surroundings.

"Seriously?" He asked to which I nodded in response. "You'd think they'd learn after kidnapping Chan."

"Doubt it. They haven't got a brain between them." I noted causing him to release a chuckle. I crossed my arms and got serious for a moment. "But seriously, this little girl is only five and a half so I gotta set some rules for you."

"Ha, enlighten me then."

"First off, you can't be swearing around her. No childish innuendoes, no mentioning of your odd sexual fantasies and no, I repeat, NO sex jokes." Mantis gasped in horror as he sat up quickly.

"Seriously?!"

"Yes. If you act like yourself in front of her for longer than five minutes and you'll scar her for life." Mantis scoffed as he crossed his two front legs.

"Fine, I'll be good. You coming for breakfast?"

"In a minute, I gotta wake up Li."

"So that's her name huh? Alright, I see you in a while buddy." He said leaping out the door. I wish I could take his word when he said he wouldn't...basically be himself, but, it's Mantis. Yeah, just the mention of his name automatically causes one to know he's up to something unethical. Anyway, I should get back on track. I returned to Li's room and knelt down next to her bed. I reached up with one hand and gently shook her.

"Hey, Li. Come on, time to get up." I spook in a hush tone. She moaned groggily as her mouth open, releasing a loud yawn before her eyes fluttered open. They laid themselves on me which was followed by a little smile.

"Hiya, Ben." She said. I chuckled as I reached down a gently stroked her head.

"Hi to you too. Come on, we're gonna get some breakfast and then work on getting you home, alright?" She nodded in response and leapt off the bed. Before she left with me, she grabbed Cuddles and we then headed to the kitchen. After a short walk, the two, I mean three of us arrived at the kitchen and soon found our nostrils being teased with the beautiful smell of porridge. Once we entered the kitchen, I saw that the rest of the gang was here. Everyone was seated aside for Viper and Po, who seemed to be busy making breakfast. "Morning, Guys." I greeted taking a seat beside Tigress.

"Morning, Ben. And good morning to you too, Li." Viper replied with a smile. Li jumped up onto a seat next to me.

"Morning." Li said politely.

"I hope you like porridge and pancakes." Po spoke up, presumably speaking to Li. And wait, did he say pancakes? Ah hell yeah!

"I do. Pancakes are my favourite." Li drooled causing me to chuckle inwardly.

"Then I shan't disappoint madam." Po said with a deep voice. The rest of us chuckled as the serpent and panda began to set down a plate consisting of hot porridge and delicious pancakes with a raspberry topping. Jesus, I may have a foodgasim.

"Oh man, this looks incredible. Thanks, guys." I said digging into my breakfast hastily along with the others.

"You're welcome. Anyway, I believe we should get back to getting Li home." Viper suggested.

"I could not agree more." Came a voice surprising us all. We turned towards the door only to see Shifu standing by it. For how long? God only knows.

"Morning, Shifu." Po chimed with his mouthful.

"Try not to communicate with your mouth full, Po. It's rude." Shifu scolded gently. If only he told he that sooner. I think I have bits of pancake on me. Gross. Po swallowed the contents that was in his mouth a smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." He said.

"Anyway, I believe now is an appropriate time in assisting our guest in returning home." Shifu said gesturing to Li.

"Alright. Li, we're gonna ask you some questions. That way we have a better chance on getting you home. Understand?" I asked to which she nodded in response.

"Can you tell us where you live, sweetheart?" Viper asked gently. Li hugged Cuddles and seemed to be thinking hard.

"I...I don't know exactly. I think it's somewhere called...um, Ch...ch...Chongqing?" She managed to say.

"Well, at least that narrows our search. Do you know where exactly you live in Chongqing?" I asked. Li shook her head.

"Well, what about your parents? Can you tell us about them?" Crane asked.

"My parents are foxes like me. My baba has a good job and has lots of money. My mama stays home with me and teaches me new things to help me in life. I'm sorry, I don't know anymore." Li replied. I leaned back in my chair as the rest shared glances.

"Alright, so we got a narrowed down location and the description of the parents. I guess someone could head up there and see if they can find the exact location o the parents." I proposed.

"Me and Crane can search. He can fly us there and could be quicker than walking." Viper suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, lets do it." I said.

"I suggest you two leave now in hopes of finding them faster." Shifu suggested.

"Alright, lets go Crane." Viper said as she began to leave with Crane following her.

"As for the rest of you, you should finish your breakfast and resume your day as usual." Shifu said as he took his leave.

"Will I be going home?" Li asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, we're gonna work as hard as we can, so don't worry." I assured causing her the return my smile.

"Thank you." She said as she continued to eat our breakfast.

"No problem, and after breakfast, maybe you and I could do so something. How about checkers?"

"I don't know how to play checkers."

"I could teach you." Tigress offered. Li turned to her favourite of the Six.

"You will?" Li asked. After receiving a smile followed by a nod, she continued. "Great, that sounds like fun." So after we all finished our breakfast, the rest of the guys went about their daily business while Li, Tigress and myself headed to my room to play checkers. After Tigress and explained how the game works to Li, she took a seat beside on my bed while I sat opposite, readying myself to play.

"Alright, all set?" I asked. Li nodded rapidly.

"Yup." She replied.

"Okay, you can start." She gazed at the board for a moment before making a move. A few minutes into the game, Li started up a little conversation.

"Ben?" Li spoke up.

"Mmmmm?" I mumbled as I moved a piece.

"Do you have any kids?" I raised brow, finding myself a little surprised that she asked that question.

"Um...no, why'd you ask?"

"You're just very kind and nice. I just thought you would have one." She replied.

"Well I don't." I said waiting for her to make her move.

"Would you ever want a kid?" She asked moving her piece.

"You know, my friends ask me that question before. And truthfully, I still don't know. I don't know if I'd be any good at it."

"Well you are taking care of her." Tigress spoke up.

"Yeah, and I think you're doing very good." I actually pulled away from a piece I was about to move and thought for a moment.

"You think so?" Both Li and Tigress nodded in response. "Huh...thanks." I smiled. The three of us continued to converse while Li and I played checkers. And, I can't believe I'm saying this but, I lost. I. Lost. Allow me to elaborate just in case that wasn't clear. A five and half year old who just learned to play this game just beat me. I stared at the board bewildered with my mouth open as Li removed my final piece.

"Did...did I win?" She asked.

"You certainly did. Congratulations Li." Tigress said.

"I lost? How did I lose?" I asked in disbelief.

"Maybe you're just bad at the game?" Li suggested as she chuckled.

"Hey! Why you little-" I attempted to grab her but she leapt off my bed quickly. I began to laugh as I chased her down the hall and finally caught up with her before she could leave the building. I grabbed her sides and began to tickle her, causing her to laugh hysterically.

"No! No! Stop!" She begged as she fell to the floor while she continued to laugh.

"Not till you apologise."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"That's all I needed to here." I said lifting her into my arms. She put her arms around my neck and sat on my arm as her laughter died down but maintained a smile.

"You're still bad at the game." I heard Tigress say. I turned around and saw her standing by my door with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in. Trust me, I'll-"

"Masters!" I voiced shouted startling us. I turned around and saw Zeng.

"What's wrong, Zeng?" I asked. I gathered his words before replying.

"Master Shifu wants you and Master Tigress to join him in the Hall of Warriors immediately." He informed.

"Better head quickly then. Come on, Ti." I said setting Li down on the ground.

"Can I come?" Li asked. I gave a nod and took her paw.

"Sure. Come on." I took the lead as we headed out of the bunkhouse and went straight to the Hall of Warriors. It didn't take long to reach it, but once we did, I saw everyone else inside, standing in front of Shifu who was by the reflecting pool.

"Good, you've come. According to a letter delivered by Zeng, It seems there's some trouble outside the Valley and needs to be taken care of." Shifu announced.

"Okay, we'll get right on that. Do you guys know where we're going?" I asked the guys. They nodded. "Alright, lets get to it."

"Are you leaving me?" Li asked with a frown.

"Only for a little while. I promise I'll be back." I said.

"But...I don't want to be alone..." She spoke sadly.

"Li, I have to, it's..." I trailed off due to Li staring at me with dilated pupils in a begging manner. God damn she was good. I sighed and turned to Shifu. "Master, would it be alright if I stayed her with her?"

"Mmmhh...very well. I will go in your place. Just keep her safe until we return."

"Thank you. Good luck, guys." I said before the all rushed out the hall, leaving me and Li alone.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to be alone." Li said turning her gaze from me.

"Don't worry, they'll handle it just fine without me. While they're gone, how about we do something?"

"Like what?"

"I would suggest checkers, but you'd probably beat me again considering I'm apparently bad at it." Li chuckled at my words. "Any suggestions?"

"Hide and seek?" I brought my hand to my beard and stroked it thoughtfully.

"I guess so. But no going outside the Palace grounds, okay?" Li nodded. "Alright, you go hide first and I'll count to thirty."

"Okay. No peeking!" Li said over her shoulder as she went to hide. I smiled as I placed my arm up against a pillar and pressed my headed against it, and started counting. Once I had reached my designated number, I began to search for Li. I started off with the kitchen and came up with nothing. Then I headed to the bunkhouse and came up with nothing yet again. My final destination was the training hall. Once I reached the courtyard outside it, I noticed that the doors leading into the hall were open. I smirked, feeling confidant that she was inside. I open the double doors only to reveal...Fung?!

"Fung? What the hell are you doing here?" I asked angrily. He was standing beside Gahri and both crocs turned to me surprised.

"Oh crap." Fung said.

"I told you someone would still be here." Gahri said to Fung.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" I asked crossing my arms.

"Ah ha, he doesn't know what he's saying, don't listen to him." Fung said while he pushed out Gahri out of the way, and then adjusted his helmet. "Listen, guy, we were just like, taking a tour and stuff, you know?" He lied, rather terribly.

"The Jade Palace doesn't give tours. Now I'll ask one more time. What the hell are you don't here?" I asked threateningly. He tapped his claws together and seemed to struggle getting the right words together.

"W-we just...you know...ah forget it! We're here for the little girl!" He finally cracked. I growled slightly and clenched my fists. Why did they only show up now? Right after the guys left to deal with...hold on.

"Wait a second...did you send that letter about the attack to try and get Li?!"

"Um, actually that was my idea. It seemed to work...almost." Gahri spoke up.

"Yeah, well your little plan ends here. Both of you leave right now or I'll kick your asses. Can't believe you thought you'd get Li by yourselves." Fung released a wicked smile.

"It ain't just the two of us." He said crossing his arms. Before I could question what he meant, I felt the ground shake ever so slightly and seemed to becoming more rapid. Wait a second...ah shit. "Guess who got out of jail?" Fung asked. I turned towards the entrance of the hall and immediately heard Li scream.

"Li?!" I exclaimed. I rushed outside and saw the beast himself; Lidong. His gaze to me and mine turned to his massive raised claw which was holding Li!

"You...again." Lidong said growling.

"Put her down now before I beat the living hell out of you!" I shouted in a blind rage. He yelled has he swung his empty claw at me. I rolled to the side and dodged it with ease. Lidong was now closer to the training hall and turned to Fung and Gahri, who had exited the hall.

"Take her...go. I deal with puny man." Lidong ordered as he handed Li to Fung.

"Go get him big guy!" Fung cheered as he threw Li onto her shoulder and headed for the exit to the courtyard.

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted while attempting to catch them. But before I could, Lidongs fist collided with the ground in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. I stared up at the massive croc and displayed my teeth.

"You remember how this went last time don't you?" I asked cracking my knuckles. He displayed his stature while cracking his neck.

"This not...last time."

"Trust me, it's gonna end up the same way. With your face in the ground!" I released a battle cry as I leapt up and punched the bastard straight into the face. The impact caused him to stumbled back. He brought himself out of his daze and rushed towards me in a fury. He swung his arm slowly enough for me to dodge and climb up it. Once I climbed his arm, I started to smash my fists into the back of his head rapidly. "Take. This. You. Bastard!" I roared. I threw one final punch which brought him to the ground. I stepped off his head and turned to him. "Now stay." I said before speeding off after Fung and Gahri. Running at the speed that I did, I soon caught up with them on the steps leading down to the Valley.

"Ben!" Li screamed. I ran up to Fung and hit the back of his leg. This caused him to drop to his knees. I lifted Li off his shoulder and held her in my arms. With my arms occupied, I used my foot to kick the back of Fung's head, making him hit the ground. I then turned to Gahri who shielded himself.

"Please don't hurt me!" He pleaded.

"Then you better go down to the guards barracks right now and then yourselves in. If I find out you didn't..." I growled. He nodded while he picked up Fung and began to drag him down the steps. I lowered Li to the ground and held her paws. "Are you alright?"

"Yes...I'm...I'm okay. You took care of me, like you said you would."

"I did didn't I? I'm glad you're okay." I smiled. She mimicked it but it soon disappeared as her eyes locked onto something.

"Look out!" She shouted. I spun quickly only to have my face punched, causing me to fly to the side. I groaned in pain and turned towards my attacker, only to find Lidong. He laughed inwardly.

"Now...stay." He spoke while turning to Li. She screamed as he tried to reach for her. I gathered all my strength and leapt up at him. My arms locked around his neck and he started to flail wildly.

"Li, run!" I yelled. She wasted no time and began to run towards the Hall of Warriors. Once I made sure she was inside, I focused my attention back to Lidong. Unfortunately, he took he by surprise by grabbing me with his claw and threw me to the ground. And just to add to injury, he stomped on my back and it hurt a lot.

"Don't...get up...again." He commanded as he removed his foot from back and headed to the Hall of Warriors. I groaned in pain and found myself almost devoid of strength. I dragged myself slowly up the steps. My body surrendered to my injuries and I rolled onto my back. My vision blurred and I felt like I was gonna pass out. Suddenly, I heard someone call my name.

"Ben!" I familiar voice shouted. I looked down towards the steps and saw Tigress. She seemed like she was walking on two legs at first, but after seeing me in my current condition, she started to sprint towards me on all fours. She knelt by my side hastily. "Are you alright?"

"I took a bit of a pounding, but I think I'll be fine. Fung and Gahri sent that letter about the attack, it was a trap." I explained.

"We know. The rest of his gang were waiting for us. We managed to fend them off. We brought them back to the guards barracks. Fung and Gahri were there too for some reason."

"Lidong is still here. He's gone after Li! They're in the Hall up there. You have to stop him!"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine, just to and help her please!" I begged. Tigress was reluctant to leave me at first, but soon sped off. I rolled over I watched her rush into the Hall. I pressed my hands against the ground and grunted while I attempted to revive to my feet. After struggling for a brief moment, I successfully got onto my feet and headed for the Hall of Warriors. Once I reached the top of the steps, I rushed into the Hall and saw Tigress fending off Lidong. I felt relieved when I saw Li safely at the back of the Hall. My attention turned back to Lidong when he roared at the top of his lungs. He swung his fist at Tigress but she dodged skilfully. But suddenly, he quickly swung his other fist and struck Tigress hard which caused her to fly towards me. "Tigress!" I shouted. He hit the ground, rolled towards me and stopped in front of me. I dropped down quickly and examined her. She hissed in pain as she held her neck.

"I'm alright. Don't worry." She assured. I looked up at Lidong who laughed which made me growl.

"You ready to put this guy in jail?" I asked while I held out my hand. She gave a nod as she grabbed her and I helped her to her feet.

"Lets do it." We both ran simultaneously and attacked Lidong at the same time. I hit low while she hit high. Overwhelmed with attacks, Lidong found it almost impossible to defend himself. Once he seemed to be in a a state of weakness, I grabbed Tigress's paws in a crisscross motion and swung her at him. She yelled as she struck him in the face with her paw pads, effectively bringing him to the ground.

"Ow." He whimpered. I walked over and hovered over him.

"Now, stay." I ordered. He grabbed his snout and continued to whimper. I gazed over to the back of the hall and saw Li approach. "Are you alright, Li?" I asked. Once she stopped in front of me she nodded while she hugged Cuddles. I was just so relieved to see the little vixen safe. I put my arms around her and lifted her into my arms and hugged her tightly, and closed my eyes when I did. She did the same by wrapping her arms around me and snuggled into my neck. After hugging her for while, I set her down on the ground. Before I could say anything, I heard someone enter the hall. We all turned to see Crane and Viper enter.

"Hey, guys we...whoa." Crane began before he noticed Lidong.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." I explained.

"Okay...anyway, we found Li's parents. They're on their way up now with Shifu and the rest of the guys." A frown spread across my face upon hearing the news. I should be happy that she's able to go home, but...I still feel a little...sad.

"So, I'll be going home?" Li asked me. I gave a weak smile.

"Yeah...I guess so." I replied. I took her paw and led out of the hall. We waited for a short outside before Shifu, the guys and Li's parents arrived. Upon seeing their child, the rushed towards her and Li did the same.

"Mama! Baba!" Li exclaimed. She ran to her parents and they embraced their child.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so glad you're okay." Li's mother said.

"Thank you for taking care of our child. I can't even express how relieved we are." Li's father said.

"It was nothing. She was very brave and wasn't any trouble. We were...glad to have her." I said.

"I'm glad to hear it. We are forever in you're debt. I believe it's best we head home. Thank you again." The father said grabbing his daughters paw.

"Wait." Li spoke up. Her mother looked down to her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Can I say goodbye to my friend?" She requested looking at me.

"Of course. Go ahead." The father said. As Li approached me, I got down on one knee.

"Thank you for looking after me." She said.

"Of course. You're were fun to have around. You be good, you hear me?" I said lightly poking her chest. She giggled and nodded. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." When I heard her say that, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Goodbye, Li." She pulled away and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose.

"Bye." I stood up and watched as she joined her parents and began to descend down the steps. Before she disappeared out of view, she turned and gave a final wave, to which I gave one of my own. And then...she was gone. I guess I'm happy that she's going home, but I'm still pretty sad about it too. I know we've only been with each other for a mere two days, but it still was a memorable two days. I sighed with a frown.

"Come on, buddy, cheer up." Po said as he brushed his paw against my arm.

"Yeah, every cloud has a silver lining." Mantis assured as he leapt onto my shoulder. I gave a little smile at his words.

"I suppose. I'm just glad I got to take care of her."

"Yeah, you did good, Ben." Viper said.

"Thanks, Viper. Anyway, we better get Lidong down to the guards barracks."

"Oh, so he was up here? Jian was a little upset about not having all the crocs in jail. She's gonna be so happy to have them all together." Mantis said sarcastically. I chuckled as I headed inside the Hall of Warriors to deal with Lidong.

(sorry for such late updates. I just a lot of stuff to deal with, I hope you can bear with me. Anyway, please leave a review!)


	50. Chapter 50

_Chapter 50: visiting times_

 **This is a little idea I've had for a while but wasn't sure if I should do it. But thanks to the encouragement of a reader of my story who goes by the name of Kingdom Infinity, I've decided to write up this idea. Anyway, enjoy!**

It's been exactly six days since we've had the pleasure of having Li with us. I can honestly say that I miss her. I'm aware our time together was very brief, but I still grew attached to the little vixen. I never knew taking care of a child would be like that. I figured it would be difficult, yet I found it rather easy and enjoyable. I guess discussing the topic of children, it raises a question that's been ask to me before; would I ever want kids? As you at first I wasn't sure, but now...I'm kind've leaning towards yes. Not one hundred percent there but I'm slowly getting there. But the sad truth is, there was no human females around. So the abstract of conceiving a child seems almost impossible. On the plus side, there was always adoption. Maybe one day I would adopt, when I get a little older...mmm, yeah, sounds like it would be an experience to remember. What else is there to recap on? Ah yes, Tigress. I'm happy to say that she's back to normal ever since our visit to her parents graves. I was glad to see she was alright. Anyway, time to get back on track. I had awoken about an hour ago. I had breakfast and made my way down to the guards barracks to pay a visit to Kai and Jian. once I entered the barracks, I headed towards Jian's office. I was about to knock on the door but was stopped due to it opening.

"I'll see ye's later." A familiar voice chimed. Exiting the room was none other than good ol' Irish himself. His back was turned when he was leaving to room and once he closed the door, he turned and bumped into me. "Ah ha! Benny-boy! Tis great to see ye!" He said giving me a hug. I chuckled before returning the gesture.

"You too, Irish. What you doing around here?" I asked pulling from the hug.

"Nothin' to do with anything incriminatin', so don't you be feckin' giving me any lip." He explained.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you in the bar tomorrow, right?"

"Of course you will! Tis me little nest after all. I'll see ye then!" He said as he left my sight. I gave a smirk before knocking on Jian's door.

"Come in." I heard her say on the other side. I turned the knob and entered. Once inside, I saw both Jian and Kai. Jian was sitting by her desk and Kai was sitting on her desk.

"Hey, guys." I greeted as I approached the duo. Both smiled at my presence as both Kai and I hugged.

"Hey, Ben, good to see you man." Kai replied as the hug broke.

"Forgive me if I don't rush around my desk to greet you. I would if not for my current condition." Jian said struggling to lift herself from her desk while she had a paw placed on her back and belly. I walked around the desk and gently hugged her.

"Don't worry, Jian. Pretty sure you got more to worry about than getting up to greet me." I assured. She placed a friendly kiss on my cheek before pulling from the hug.

"Thank you. God, this baby is such a bother." She said. I held her paw and assisted her back to her seat.

"No kidding. I just saw Irish leave. What he do this time?" I asked.

"Nothing, if you could believe it. In fact, he surprised me more by bringing me this." Jian replied. She opened a drawer to her desk and pulled out a small white blanket. It seemed to be in quite good condition too.

"He got you that?"

"Indeed. Apparently he bought it from Ling and gave it to me as a little gift for the baby." Jian said stroking the blanket.

"It was quite he generous of him. I guess he wants you to know that he cares." Kai suggested.

"Mmhh, maybe. He can be rather annoying, but he has a kind heart."

"He does. So tell me, how you been feeling lately?" I asked her. She released an exasperated breath as she held her back in pain.

"Relatively fine, I suppose. I do get a little pain in my back from time to time and recently I've become a little hungrier than usual."

"I've tried to get her to stay home but she just refuses." Kai said.

"Kai, you should know by now it'll take a lot more than a child to stop me from keeping things in order around here."

"I don't know, Jian, he has point. Do you think it's wise to be dealing with the duties as captain in your current condition?" I asked.

"Nonsense, I can handle it. Besides, if things do get a little too much and I find myself under a little stress, I can always pay a visit to our cells to have a...'chat' with our guests. Like Fung and his gang."

"They still here?"

"Yup. And I must say, having them here for a whole week has been such a pleasure. They're so comforting to be around." Jian smiled...almost wickedly. I mentally cringed. Dealing with Jian is one thing, but a pregnant Jian? Poor bastards.

"Don't suppose you mind if I pay a little visit to the little croc gang do you?"

"Sure, be my guest." Jian said.

"Thanks, I'll see you guys in a while." I spoke as I left Jian's office and headed to the cells. I guess you're wondering why I'm going to speak with the crocs. I just want to ask why would the would stoop so low as to kidnap a child. I still can hardly wrap my head around the whole thing. Once I had reached the cells I walked passed a couple before arriving at the one containing Fung's gang. They all seemed to be just lazying around well except a few. Gahri had his head buried in a book which contained a lot of pages, Wall-eye was poking his eye with a small stick...okay, Lidong, having such little space, was forced to sit on the ground as he just leaned on his claw with a bored expression and finally Fung was standing on a chair, attempting to break through the iron bars on the window with...a wooden spoon. "Hello, guys." I spoke up catching everyone's attention. Fung leapt for the chair and his the spoon behind his back as he began to whistle.

"Oh, hello." Gahri replied politely before bookmarking his book and proceeded to close it. His polite nature annoyed Fung to a point where Fung struck Gahri with his Wooden spoon. After realising he exposed his escape tool, he hastily attempted to hide it behind his back.

"I already saw what you were trying to do Fung. No point in trying to hide it." I said grabbing a nearby chair and sat facing the cell.

"What do you want, guy?" Fung asked crossing his arms.

"I just came for a little chat and ask why you guys did what you did."

"We don't have to explain ourselves to you." Fung spat.

"Actually, you do. You kidnapped a little girl. Even that's a low for you guys. I'm mean Jesus, what we you thinking?"

"We weren't gonna hurt her. We just...wanted some money." Gahri tried to explain.

"And that excuses from taking a little girl from her home?" Gahri opened his mouth to reply, but no words were spoken. He lowered his head shamefully. I sighed and leaned back in the chair. "What's wrong with you guys? Why do you even do what you do? You're not any good at it."

"It's all we've kinda ever done. We're not much good at anything else." One croc, who I believed was called Dirk said. If you're wondering what he looks like, he just basically has a similar build as Fung.

"That can't be true, surely there's something you guys are good at." I gazed around the cell and none of the crocs gave an reply. Damn, resorting to a criminal life because they can't do anything else. But that can't be true, there must be something else they're good at. I mean, there must be a way they could...mmmmmm. "You know what guys, I think I have an idea." I smiled.

(please leave a review! 50 chapters in baby! Whoo!)


	51. Chapter 51

_Chapter 51:rehabilitated_

 **HE'S ALIVE! Indeed I am, guys. Sorry for such a late update, I've just had to deal with a lot of stuff recently, hopefully now though, I will be able to upload for frequently in the future. Sorry to say I can't make any promises though. Anyway, thanks for continuing to read, you wonderful people!**

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Jian asked.

"Come on, Jian, it's at least worth a try." I replied.

"Let me get this straight; you want us to free Fung and his gang, so you can help them 'change their ways'?"

"Maybe it's worth a try, love." Kai suggested.

"They've done nothing but cause trouble for years, what makes you two think they'd be willing to change their ways now?" Jian asked crossing her arms.

"I'll find a way to persuade them. They may be a little idiotic but I'm sure they'd be willing to at least try something else than a life of criminals." Jian leaned back in her chair and sighed inwardly, while dwelling into thought. Kai took a seat on her desk.

"Come on, Jian, we've thrown them in our cells for the purpose of them thinking about what they've done and hope that they change their ways. Clearly it hasn't worked on them, so maybe if we give Ben a chance on helping them, maybe they will turn from a life of crime." Kai said supporting my idea. He reached down and and lifted her chin. "Would you at least do it for me?" He asked trying his best to dilate his pupils to cajole his wife. After staring into his eyes for a brief moment, Jian sighed in defeat.

"God, I hate you." She said before turning to me. "If you believe this idea of yours will work, then instruct the guard by the cells to let them out. Just tell him I gave you permission."

"Thanks, Jian. I promise to not disappoint."

"I'm sure you won't. Goodbye." I gave a nod and left Jian's office. Pretty sure you've already figured what I have planned for my crocodile buddies but just in case you don't, let me reiterated really quickly. I'm basically planning on helping the crocs change their ways. But now I'm beginning to question whether or not they would actually be willing to do so. Gahri seems like the most reasonable of the group, pretty sure he would try. The rest of them...probably. Now Fung...I don't know. He seems a little hotheaded, but I'm sure where ever his gang goes he goes. And finally...Lidong. Shit, not sure what to say to convince the big guy. Him and me sort've have a feud over our many battles with one another. I guess I'll just have to think of something. I reached the cells and approached the guard stationed here.

"Hey, it seems the crocs have earned a reprieve. You can let them go, Captian Jian said so." I told the guard.

"If you say so. You want me to let them out now?" He asked.

"Not just yet, I gotta have a little talk first." I said heading to the crocs cell. I tapped the iron bars to grab their attention. When all eyes set upon me, I smirked. "I've pulled a couple of strings and managed to convince Captain Jian to let you guys go." The crocs shared confused glances before looking back at me.

"You bailed us out? But why?" Gahri asked.

"Because of what you guys said. You believe that you're good at nothing else than being bandits. Yet you don't realise, you're pretty bad at being bandits. So I figured that I should help you guys out. Once we're out of the barracks, I'm gonna help you guys find something you're all good at."

"You wanna help us out? Why?" Fung asked crossing his arms.

"Because, to be honest, I just feel sorry for you guys. You're not bad people, you just got into a bad life and people deserve a second chance. So...what do you guys say?" I asked. They all stayed silent while glancing at one another. "Come on, do you guys really wanna continue your lives in this loop? Constantly being shunned by villagers and having your asses kicked by me and my friends?" Their uncertainly began to diminish as Gahri stepped forward.

"I'd be willing to try." Gahri spoke up.

"Seriously?! After this guy, like, beat the crap out of us a bagillion times?" Fung exclaimed at his friend.

"Come on, Fung, it's a least worth a try." Gahri reasoned. Fung crossed his arms and turned from his friend. Gahri frowned and turned to the others. "What about you guys?" The rest of the group shared glances of uncertainly before Dirk stood up.

"I'm in." He stated.

"Me too." Another croc, similar to Gahri, said (his names Irwin by the way."

"I have to pee." Wall-eye said with a blank expression. The rest, slowly shifted away from him.

"So, how about it Fung?" I asked. He grunted in annoyance before releasing an overdramatic sigh.

"Gah! Fine, I'll 'try' and be good." I smiled before turning to the final croc: Lidong. He seemed like the only one who hasn't given a response to my idea.

"What about you Lidong? I know we have a little history, but I'm willing to let it go if you will." I spoke truthfully. He turned to me and scoffed before looking the other way.

"I not...like you. No...I not let go of past." He said bluntly. Goddamn, what else can I say to convince him. I silently hummed in thought before smiling. I leaned in towards the cell before speaking.

"That's alright. You can stay here and keep Captain Jian company." Even with his head turned, I saw his eyes widened before he shook his head rapidly.

"She...scare me."

"I figured you say that. So, you ready to become rehabilitated?" I asked extending my hand to signify a truce. He gazed at it for a moment before reluctantly reaching out and shaking it.

"Fine...I be good."

"That's what I wanted to hear. Alright, guard, you can let them out." The guard nodded before complying to my request. Once the cell was open, I lead the crocs out of the barracks and onto a railroad leading to rehabilitation. Now, I bet your wondering, where will I start in my search to find something they're good at? Well, I already thought ahead. I was first gonna head to Ling's shop, in hopes that she could allow the guys to preform tasks around her shop and see if they're any good at it. It wasn't much, but it was a start right? After arriving at her shop, I gave a quick introduction and laid the idea onto Ling. surprisingly, she was eager to assist the ex-banditos. She assigned them tasks to do while we observed. Well, except Lidong. he was too big to fit into the shop so he had to wait outside. So far they were...um...doing alright I guess.

"Come now, Fung, it's not that difficult." Ling said watching Fung as he attempted to use the sewing machine to patch up a dress. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be doing well.

"It's hard! This thing, like, has a mind of its own." Fung complained as he growled in frustration.

"Lets just see how the others are doing." Ling suggested.

"Yeah, alright." I nodded. I followed Ling as she lead me into her back room. Once she threw the curtains aside, we saw...ah...

"Oh, dear." Ling uttered. Oh dear indeed. It seems like the rest of the crocs weren't exactly fairing well either. Irwin and Dirk were sorting out clothes incorrectly, stacking pants with tops and tops with pants. Wall-eye was...wearing a dress, a dress for a female. For some reason, I'm not even surprised. What I was surprised about was Gahri, who actually seemed to be making a little progress. 'Littl'e being the key word.

"This does not seem to be going well." I sighed while I crossed my arms.

"I'm sure if we give them time, they might improve." Ling said.

"I'm not sure that'll work out too well. They're not exactly the fastest learners." I said doubtfully.

"Well, there's nothing much else I can do to help. I'm sorry, Ben, I tried." Ling said with a frown.

"Don't be sorry, you did your best. Thanks anyway, Ling. I guess I better find something else for them to do."

"If you say so."

"Come on, guys, we're leaving." I announced. They all dropped what they were doing and left the backroom. "I'll see you later, Ling." I reached out and hugged my friend, finding my gesture returned immediately.

"Goodbye, my friend and good luck!" I chuckled and left the store along with the crocs. From there, I went from place to place trying hard to find something the crocs were good at. I went from a farm outside the Valley, to the general store and even saw if they could handle musical instruments, but failed in finding what I was searching for. At the beginning was confidant I would find something they were good at, but now...I was almost ready to give up. My final hope was Mr Ping. I had asked for his help in the matter and he was happy to help. I really thought there was chance of something here, but alas, it seemed all hope was lost when the crocs couldn't seem to handle the restaurant business. Now I was really gonna give up. I sat by a table at Mr Pings with the crocs. I was leaned on my hand with a defeated expression.

"Mr Ping, could we trouble you for some bowls of your noodle soup?" Gahri asked.

"Of course, I'll bring some right away." Mr Ping said retreating into his kitchen.

"Any of the guys got some money to pay?" Gahri asked. The rest began scavenging through their pouches for cash. I rolled my eyes while I pulled out some money from my back pocket and threw it onto the table. "Oh, thank you."

"Yeah, no problem..." I mumbled.

"Why so glum?" Dirk asked. I sighed.

"I just really thought I was gonna help you guys, but I failed. I'm sorry, guys." I said with dejection in my tone.

"Hey, at least you tried. That's more than we can say for anyone." Irwin said.

"Yeah, you're like the only person who's actually tried to help us." Gahri added.

"It's still not enough. I really wanted to help you guys." I said truthfully. Gahri merely shrugged.

"Nothing more you can do, we told you we stink." He said. I sighed and leaned back onto my hand. Their noodle soup arrived and they began to eat almost immediately while I sat in silence. It seemed there was nothing else I could do. I really did think I would be able to help them. And I couldn't. Guess there was nothing else I could do now. Heh...at least they got some noodle soup...which I paid for.

"Geez, this is too fricking hot!" Fung complained.

"Come on, Fung, please try and be a little grateful." Gahri requested. Fung growled in annoyance.

"Shut up, Gahri." He hissed. I shook my head and crossed my arms.

"Why do you hang around with this guy? He's a complete ass!" I asked Gahri.

"Hey!" Fung exclaimed.

"Well, we've been friends since we were kids. We grow up rather poor as well and because of that, we didn't really have much." Gahri explained.

"Things were rough, huh?" I asked as I leaned on my hand.

"Yeah. As you could imagine, it got so rough we had to...resort to a life of crime."

"And that's where it all started?" All the crocs nodded while they ate their noodles, with dejected expressions. What can say? Guess they were just dealt a crappy hand in life. It's sad really. They not even bad guys, in fact, they alright when we get down to it. Now I feel even more down about not being able to help them.

"Anyway, thanks for buying us lunch...not really sure what we'll do after we finish." Gahri said.

"Hopefully nothing that involves being criminals anymore. I just had hoped I-" I cut of mid sentence due to a loud noise filling my ears. To be more specific, it sounded like a scream. "What the hell? Stay here guy,s I'll be back." I jumped from the table and jogged outside and saw villagers fleeing.

"Master Ben! Master Ben!" A pig shouted as he sprinted towards me.

"What's wrong? Why is everyone running from?" I asked.

"Bandits! In the Valley!" He explained with a raised tone.

"Alright, get to your home immediately, I'll deal with them." I instructed. He nodded and wasted no time in following my orders. I gazed down the street and indeed there was bandits. Not just a few either, there was a lot of em. I cracked my knuckles and calmly began to approach two boars who were heading to me, shouting at the top of their lungs with weapons in hand. The first boar swung his axe clumsily, allowing me to dodge it with ease and punch his face hard. The impact left him and a daze and I threw another punch, knocking him out instantly. The second boar repeated the first ones actions and soon found himself out cold alongside him. I dwelled further into the Valley and came closer towards the centre. When I did reach it, I soon found myself surrounded by bandits. I kept my fists raised as they slowly began to close in.

"Time to say goodbye." An ox growled. His eyes widened and locked with something above and behind me. I looked at the ground and saw a familiar shadow cast itself onto the ground. I smiled as Crane swooped over my head and threw Viper, who he had in his talons, at the ox. Viper coiled around him in seconds andbrought him onto the ground faster than you could count to three. I turned around and saw the other bandits becoming one with the ground due to my friends arriving.

"About time you guys showed up!" I teased while engaging in combat alongside my friends.

"Yeah, well some of us were disturbed during our nap." Mantis explained with grogginess in his voice.

"You sound like an old man." Monkey snorted. I released a chuckle while engaging into battle with another bandit.

"Enough banter, we gotta take care of these bandits." Viper interrupted.

"They've probably spread throughout the Valley. We should do the same." I suggested. The rest quickly agreed as we dealt we last of the bandits on this street. We all dwelled into the Valley, spreading out and taking down as many bandits as we could. Eventually, I ended up down the street from Mr Ping's shop. I grabbed the back of the heads of two boars and forcefully smashed them together, knocking them both out instantly. "Damn, this is too easy." I gloated. My eyes darted down the street towards Mr Ping's shop and I just caught a glimpse of bandits rushing into the shop. I broke out sprinting towards the shop, feeling concerned for Mr Ping's safety. I closed in on the entrance and heard what sounded like a a commotion emanating from within. I slide to the front entrance, fists raised and...wha? I'm not sure sure I'm seeing this correctly but it seems the bandits were being apprehended...by Fung and his friends. Yes, you read that correctly. If you think you're surprised, you don't even know how I feel! Even though though they fought rather poorly, they still seemed to be taking out the bandits, probably because the bandits were shitty fighters. Within a matter of minutes, the crocs actually managed to take all of the out bandits.

"Yeah, we did it!" Fung cheered. His friends joined him in triumph as they high-fived on another.

"Holy crap." I said in awe, catching the crocs attention as I spoke.

"And, so like, where were you when we were kicking butt?" Fung gloated.

"You guys actually manage to take these bandits down..." I said in disbelief. My eyes trailed off as well as my thoughts. It would seem I'm conjuring up an idea. Before I could I finish my thought, I heard someone behind me by the entrance. I turned and saw Po.

"Hey, Ben, we manage to stop the bandit raid..." Po began before trailing off. His eyes locked with the crocs and he immediately threw up a defensive stance. "I thought we put you guys in jail!"

"Whoa, whoa! Easy, Po, they weren't attacking the Valley." I explained quickly enough to defuse any situation that would have risen. Po lowered his guard and cock his head

"They weren't? So what are they doing here?" He asked.

"I'll tell you on the way to the guards barracks. We gotta take these bandits there." I replied pointing to the grounded bandits. Po shook his head and slumped two of them onto each of his shoulders. I told the crocs to do the same. On the way to the barracks, we met up with the rest of the guys and I had explained to everyone about what I had planned for the crocs. After explaining my somewhat failure, I then let them in on the idea you all will soon discover as well. Soon enough, we all were outside the guard barracks

"Jian won't agree to it." Mantis said, sceptically as we entered the barracks.

"Don't worry about it, I'll find a way to convince her." I assured.

"You're funeral, buddy." Monkey said. I shook my head, feeling confidant about my plan. We reached the cells and threw the bandits inside.

"Enjoy your stay, boys." Mantis mocked before heading out of the barracks on Monkey's shoulder.

"Come on, Crane, time to get back to what we were doing." Viper said as she slithered out with Crane following behind her.

"Hey, I'll see you later Ben!" Po said as he left, waving when he did, leaving me alone with Tigress and the crocs.

"So, this is what you've been up to today?" Tigress asked.

"Yeah, I figured I would be able to help them change their ways. But, it would seem I wasn't successful so far." I replied.

"And you believe that this new idea will be as successful?" She questioned.

"It's worth a try. I'm sure I can sweet talk Jian somehow." I said smirking. Tigress merely smiled and shook her head.

"Do you wish for me to stay with you? Or is this something you want to do on your own?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll see you back up at the Palace, alright?" She nodded.

"Of course. See you later." She said before taking her leave.

"Alright, guys, time to pay a visit to the captain." I spoke up.

"Whatever you say, guy." Fung scoffed.

"Listen, Fung, the only way this thing is gonna work is if you're not acting like a jackass, okay? So enough with childish attitude." I scolded. He crossed his arms and stayed silent. "Good, now lets go." I then lead the crocs towards Jian's office. Once we reached it, I knocked on her door gently and awaited a response.

"Come in." Jian said from within. I opened her door and entered along with the crocs. "Ah, look who's returned, with the newly reformed crocs I hope." Jian said.

"Well, that all depends really." I said. Jian raised a brow curiously.

"Oh? On what?"

"Well...you."

"What do you mean?" She asked cautiously.

"I did what I said and tried to help find something for these guys to do and possibly help them turn away from a life of crime. But, eh, didn't go exactly as planned. I was actually about to give up. But as you know, the bandits attacked and we managed to deal with them as quickly."

"Where is this going?" Jian interjected.

"To cut it short, some bandits attacked Mr Pings, but we weren't the ones who dealt with them. It was these guys." I said jerking my thumb towards the crocs.

"What?" She questioned with surprised expression.

"Yeah, it's true, they took them out without a scratch."

"I suppose a...thank you is in order." Jian said crossing her arms, seemingly reluctant to say what she said.

"You're welcome, ma'am." Gahri replied with a smile.

"Anyway," I continued, "it got me thinking and I may have found something that they could try."

"And what would that be?" Jian asked.

"Well...maybe they could try out for being...guards." I said. Jian stayed silent for a moment before bursting on laughing. A reaction I kinda saw coming. I remained silent and kept a serious express, trying to get her to realise I wasn't joking. Once she noticed my expression, her laughter began to corrode until she fell silent.

"You're...serious, aren't you?" She asked. I gave a nod in response. "I'm always looking for new men, but I've set standards."

"Hey!" Fung exclaimed.

"Come on, Jian, this is their last chance of finding something to help them change their ways. Without a chance, they're only choice would be to go back to being bandits. Are you telling me you want to keep throwing these guys in your cells everyday?" I asked. She leaned back in her chair and looked over the crocs, who, in returned, exchanged nervous glances.

"I'm just not certain..." She doubted.

"Don't they at least deserve a chance? All I'm asking is for you to give them that." I said, on the verge of begging. She looked at me before looking back to the crocs. She pushed against her desk, aiding herself to her feet.

"I'll tell your what; I'll give them a chance to prove themselves to be capable guards within a week and if they succeed, I'll accept them into my ranks. If they fail...well I guess all I could can do is say I did my best." She said, causing me to smile.

"Thank you, Jian."

"Of course, Ben. It's the least I could do for a friend. Now if you don't mind, I'd like a little word with our new...recruits." I nodded.

"Okay, see you later. Good luck guys." I said before turning and leaving. Man, what a day. At least I was able to help those crocs out. They really do deserve a better chance at life. Everyone does. I sure hope they can appeal to Jian's good nature. I guess all I can do is wait a see. Time for some checkers with Tigress.


	52. Chapter 52

_Chapter 52: kitchen gossip_

 **Benjaman here bringing you lovely people another set of chapters. Hope you guys like these ones, I hope to get them out during this week. I just had a look at the reviews and I love reading them. Especially the newest ones between these two guys. KFC? Haha, oh spelling errors. Just remember, if you guys want to ask me something, just send me a PM and I'll try to get back to you. Anyway, on with the show!**

It's hard to think that it's already the middle of August. Damn this year seems to be moving so fast and yet, so much has happened. A lot of which has change my life dramatically, all for the better really. I wonder how it's gonna be like during the winter holidays. And the festival at Viper's village next month. I can hardly wait to create more memories with my friends. But I suppose I should talk about that when it comes. For now I should focus on present news. I happy to say that the crocs managed to impress Jian and have officially become Valley of the Peace guards. I'm really glad they've finally find something that helped them put their criminal life in the past. Just goes to show, if you work hard enough, you'll get what you deserve. Other than that news, there really isn't much else to say. Thing's have been really quiet, even down at the Valley. There hasn't been any raids or attacks which made us kind've of bored. But, we managed to keep ourselves busy. All I've really did for the past few weeks was relax and have a causal drink. Speaking of which, I was on my way to the kitchen right now to have one. It was the beginning of the day and everyone else was out doing whatever they were doing, leaving me in peace in the kitchen. Once I was inside, I opened a top cabinet to retrieve my very own personal bottle of whiskey, which once again, Mantis seemed to have sneaked a couple sips. I grunted while taking out a glass to pour my liquid into. I pulled the cork off the bottle and poured myself a glass. Once it had reached the brim, I ceased from pouring any further, corked it and returned it to it's original spot. I took a sit and spun the whiskey by moving glass in a circular motion. I allowed it to settle before taking a small sip. I released a satisfied sigh as I dwelled into thought. My thoughts usually revolve basic stuff, nothing really worth mentioning. But the majority of the time, they revolve around Tigress. I still remember the brief conversation I had about her with Crane and Viper and them surprising me by informing me I may 'like' her. Needless to say, this new information really got me thinking. What if I did like her? What the heck should I do? I've never even known any girls back in my world, so the idea of having a crush is baffling. I wonder though...does she...feel the same way? Man, that question certainly earned another sip of whiskey. I drank quickly before setting the glass back down. I couldn't even imagine that happening though. Tigress never really struck me as a person who would get romantically involved with anyone. Yeah, she has friends, but a person who she would look as more than a friend? Not sure I would see that happening. She's more of a professional woman. Mature, strong, caring and just in short, a pretty damn great lady. Why would she like someone like me? Personally, I don't believe myself to be that all appealing. Im not exactly smooth or charming. Nothing like Tigress. She just amazing and well, if I'm truly honest...beautiful. There was something her appearance that placed me in a state of awe. Her smile, her face, her eyes and well, um...her figure. God, I must sound like a creep or something, but it was the truth. I admired every part of her. I still remember the swimming lesson. I still remember her almost devoid of clothing. She just looked so gorgeous. I guess we can take one thing from all this; I think Crane and Viper may be right. I think I do like her. I continued to sit silently in the kitchen and drank at a steady pace. However, the silence was shattered with the sound of someone entering the kitchen.

"Man, I'm beat. Great moves you pulled back there, sweetheart." I heard a voice say. Didn't take long for me to realise who entered.

"You didn't do so bad yourself, Crane." I heard a familiar serpent say.

"Once we get a drink of water, you think maybe we could go out to get something to eat?" Crane asked.

"Well, I was kinda hoping you and I could...hang around the kitchen for a while..." Viper said, almost in a whisper. Before Crane replied, the couple came into view by the doorframe. However, they were oblivious to my presence.

"What, eh, what do mean?" Crane asked, seeming rather nervous. I saw Viper slowly slither up his body and secured herself on him.

"You know...just spend quality time together." She whispered as she leaned he head towards his with a smirk. Crane released a chuckle as his wings wrapped around her.

"Oh, I see..." Crane muttered as he shut his eyes, leaning forward while he did. Viper pressed her lips against his beak while Crane caressed her body. I smirked and released a cough, in hopes to grab their attention. And boy, I sure did. Their eyes widened, and their kiss broke. Every so slowly, they craned their heads towards me and stared at me silently. I gave a slight nod while bringing my glass of whiskey to my mouth.

"Morning." I greeted while sipping my drink, displaying a clearly visible smile behind the glass.

"Ben! We-we were just came here to get a-a drink of water." Viper tried to explain with flustering cheeks. She pulled herself from avian, who appeared to be equally as embarrassed.

"Yeah! A glass of water, nothing else we swear!" Crane said with a nervous laugh.

"It's alright guys, I'm not judging. No need to be so embarrassed." I assured. They sighed before joining me by the table.

"Probably should have seen if this place was empty first." Crane said while his cheeks lost its rosy tint.

"Ha, no kidding. Where you too training or something?" I asked while I continued to drink. Viper headed over to the sink to get some water while Crane stood next to me.

"Yeah, pretty hard too. I'm freaking beat." Crane said.

"Me too. That's why we came here to get something to drink." Viper added.

"Beat huh? You too seemed like you had enough energy to start something in the kitchen a moment ago." I teased and chuckled when I did.

"Can we please just forget what happened?" Crane begged.

"I'm only joking around. Anyway, you know you guys don't have to train. Shifu's gone and won't be back for another week. You know he went to visit Master Thundering Rhino."

"Doesn't hurt to keep on your feet. Maybe you should keep training too, instead of sitting around drinking. But early for that, don't you think?" Viper asked.

"I'm not planning on getting wasted. I just needed something to help me control my thoughts."

"We have something called meditation for that." Crane joked. I rolled my eyes in response.

"I need something a little more practical. I just been...thinking a lot lately." Viper joined me and Crane at the table with a glass of water in her grasp.

"What have you been thinking about?" She asked. I sighed while rubbing my forehead

"I've been thinking about the conversation we had about Tigress." I replied.

"Oh, I see. Do you wanna talk about it? We haven't really talked about it since then." Viper asked.

"I guess it would help to talk about it. I just...I think I do like her guys."

"That's great! I'm happy for you." Viper said with a smile.

"But what the heck I'm I suppose to do about it? I don't even know if she feels the same way."

"Well, you won't know unless you talk to her about it. Maybe that could help." Crane suggested. I shook my head.

"Man, I don't want to create that kind've of awkward situation. What if it turns out she doesn't like me? Imagine of uncomfortable it will be to see her everyday from there on out. No, I have to do something else, but I don't know what."

"Maybe I could do something." Viper suggested. I raised brow and looked down to her.

"What do you mean?"

"I could talk to her and ask her how she feels about you. That way, I can get an answer." That...actually doesn't sound like a bad idea.

"You would do that for me?" I asked. she smiled and gave a nod. I gave a smile of my own. "Thanks, Viper."

"Anything for my friend. Now maybe you should clear your mind with some meditation instead of drinking. It really does work."

"Alright, I'll do it at the peach tree. I'll leave you guys to get some...quality time." I joked as I snickered. Crane sighed in annoyance and Viper rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. See you later, Ben." Viper said. I got up off my chair and headed out. At least my mind can be put at ease now. And once Viper gets back to me on her conversation with Tigress, I'll finally get my answer. If she doesn't like me, I guess there's nothing I can do. But if she like me...man I'm not sure what I might do. I guess I should...maybe asked her out on a...date? Just they thought makes me feel I little nervous. God, maybe I should meditate more often. I never really got into before so I guess my first time doing it will be an experience. I'll just relax and clear my mind. Nothing can interrupt my-

"Hey, Ben!" A voice called out, pulling me from my daydreaming. I stood outside the Hall of Warriors and my eyes darted to the steps leading to the Valley. And it would seem a familiar panda was making his way up, who was out of breath too.

"What's up, Po?" I asked. He stopped in front of me, gasping for air and struggled to keep his balance.

"I-I just-dad-noodles." He huffed after each word.

"Alright, buddy, take a deep breath and start over." I instructed. He did what I said and began to take in as much air as he could. Once his body had balanced out his oxygen he began to speak once more.

"Alright, my dads having a little trouble serving all his customers at the moment and needs help. I was wondering if you could come down and give us a hand." He explained. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Po, I already planned to relax and clear my-"

"Oh please! He's really struggling with just the two of us!" Po practically begged.

"Po, I just..I can't..."

"Please...?" He pouted while he whimpered. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll help." Po released a laugh while bringing me into a bear hug.

"Ah ha! I knew I could count of you, buddy!" I released a laugh of my own as he sat me down.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, lets to then." I said as we both began to descend down the steps. So much for clearing my mind of relaxing.

(Don't forget to review!)


	53. Chapter 53

_Chapter 53: under the peach tree_

The sun hung loosely over the sky, providing light and heat for the residents of The Valley of Peace as well as the residents of the Jade Palace. But up high, nestled under the blossomed peach tree, was the lone Tigress. She sat silently under the gift from nature in a meditating position. She came here to put her mind at ease as well as enjoy the beautiful weather. But a perk she had been granted, was a cool breeze that whistled past her silently, guiding itself through her fur coat. She inhaled through her nose deeply, allowing herself to become free of thought and smiled as she did. Soon, she found herself at a state of mild peace, something she thoroughly enjoyed most days. However, this peaceful state was about to be unexpectedly interrupted by a familiar serpent, who was making her way up towards the peace tree. Viper had searched for the tiger throughout the Palace grounds and her search eventually led her to the peach tree. Once she had reach the too step, she saw Tigress meditating beneath the peach tree. Viper smiled and began to approach her.

"Hey, Tigress." Viper greeted. Upon hearing her voice, Tigress's ears shifted towards Viper and her eyes shot open. She turned to greet her friend with a smile.

"Viper, good morning. I was just meditating." She explained.

"Oh, sorry, I just came her to talk to you, but I'll go if you want me to." The serpent insisted. Tigress shook her head.

"No, it's alright, I believe I have time to converse." Tigress said as she shifted to make room for her friend. Viper slithered towards her and settled beside her. "Now, what to you wish to talk about?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you about someone." Viper began.

"Alright, who?"

"Well...Ben." Viper said. Upon hearing his name, Tigress's ears shifted once again.

"Did something happen? Is he alright?" Tigress asked with concern in her voice.

"Oh, no no, he's fine, I was just wondering if I could ask you something that relates to him."

"Which would be...?" Viper took a deep breath before looking her friend dead in the eyes.

"Tigress...do you...like him?" Tigress sat silently staring at her friend for a brief moment before answering.

"I...I'm unsure as to what you mean exactly..."

"I mean, do you have any...feelings for him?" Tigress's eyes shifted from her friends and slowly turned ahead of her and stared at the ground. She found herself unable to speak for she couldn't gather the correct words. But finally she manage to speak.

"I..I'm not sure what you...why are you asking this?"

"Well it's just that for the past few months, I've seen you two together almost all the time. I know how much you care for him and I know how much he cares for you. And I was just wondering if maybe, with how long you've been with him, that you may have developed feelings for him." Once again, Tigress found herself devoid of speech. This was certainly a question she thought she would never be asked. So how could she answer it? She herself had been contemplating her relationship with Ben for months. During that time there had been moments where she felt closer to him than she had been before, manifesting an odd feeling inside her. And now with all they've been through together, she certainly had developed something for him that she couldn't explain. Should she tell Viper that? She trusted her completely, but with such a personal topic, she was unsure she should. But she did need an explanation for what she was experiencing. After pondering quietly for some time, Tigress took a deep breath before turning back to her friend.

"Viper, I...I do feel...something but I am unsure what it means."

"Well how do you feel around him? Anything that usually occurs?" Viper asked shifting closer to the confused feline.

"I feel...protective of him. I always try to make sure no harm comes to him. I feel I can share anything with him. A lot of the time I...I just want..."

"To always be by his side?" Viper guessed.

"Yes, exactly that. I seem to smile more often when I'm with him and when I am with him, sometimes an odd feeling stirs within me. It feels-"

"Strange but good?" Viper once again guessed. Tigress stared at the serpent with a baffled expression.

"How...how did you that was what I was going to say?" Tigress asked.

"Because I have felt all those things too when I'm around Crane." She shifted a little closer and enclosed the distance between the two. "It means you do have feelings for him, Tigress. Romantic ones." Like a whack on the head, Tigress felt like she was in a daze with Viper's final words. Romantic feelings? Is...is that what she had been experiencing this entire time? Tigress found herself practically overwhelmed with this new information. Viper soon noticed her dazed expression. "Are you alright, Tigress?"

"Y-yes, I'm fine. I just...I never expected these odd feelings to be...romantic ones."

"It's nothing to be confused or embarrassed about. It's perfectly normal."

"What...what should I do?"

"Maybe you could tell him how you feel." The serpent suggested.

"I don't believe I can. This is just something that has been brought to my attention. I'm still so confused about all this. I..I just need to think. I need time to think."

"Of course, of course. I'll just leave you in peace, alright?"

"If you would, I just need some time to process this information."

"I understand. Just know that if you wish to talk about it some more, I'm always ready to listen."

"Thank you, Viper "

"Of course. I'll see you later, Tigress." And with that, Viper disappeared down the steps, leaving the confused tiger alone with her whirlwind of thoughts. Tigress couldn't even began to ponder how she was going to process all that has been said. Had she truly developed...romantic feelings for her best friend? Even the very topic of romance was completely alien to her. She never dwelled into it due to her believing that it would never enter her life. Yet, here she sat processing romantic feelings for someone she held close. It made her confused. It made her feel strange...but in a good way. She shook herself from her thoughts. One thing was for sure; she really needed to mediate now. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She shut eyes and attempted to free her mind from thought. But unbeknownst to her, that was going to prove quite difficult.

Outside Mr Ping's noodle shop...

"Jesus, you weren't kidding about there being a lot of people here." I said with a surprised expression. I looked around Mr Ping's shop and the place was packed! Keep in mind it's usually packed, but this is like packed packed! And Po expects me to believe that the two of us can serve all these people?

"Like I said, my dad needs the help. But we can do it if we work together." Po said, no doubt trying to eliminate of chance of me backing out.

"Po, I don't know man. There's a lot of people here. It could take forever to serve them all."

"Come on, we're Kung fu warriors! Something as simple serving meals is basic stuff." I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Alright, fine, I'll help. I don't know why your dad doesn't just hire help. After all, you don't even work here anymore." I reminded.

"I know, but I just like to be with him. He is my dad after all."

"Yeah, I understand. It's important to keep him in your life. Anyway, we should start getting to work." He gave a nod and took the lead into his dads shop. We began by retrieving an apron which was followed by serving a hell of a lot customers. One by one of delivering at tables non stop. What was worse was the fact that this took up the majority of the day. I had planned to just relax and rest my mind, yet here I am swooping from table to table delivering people their meals. Needless to say, it was a pretty tiring day at Mr Ping's. Eventually though, we managed to keep each customer happy until early afternoon, where by now the amount of customers had decreased, leaving few in the shop to finish their meals. At the moment I had brought back a few empty bowls and I started to wipe down a few tables.

"Oh, thank you for the help today, Ben. I can tell you right now it was very much appreciated." Mr Ping said from inside his kitchen. I turned to him with a smile.

"No problem, Mr Ping. Glad I could help."

"Why don't I make you a bowl of my noodle soup? On the house of course." Mr Ping offered. I shook my head.

"Nah, that's alright. I'm not that hungry."

"Well, if you say so. But the offer will still stand." He said as he turned to wash some dishes. I myself returned to wiping down tables until I got to one which Po was sitting at. By the looks of it, it seemed like he was staring off into space or something. I released an annoyed grunt and crossed my arms.

"You know, you could lend me a hand with these tables." I spoke up, pulling him out of his daze.

"Huh-wha? Oh, sorry, Ben, I was just...looking at something..." He muttered while he began to lean on his paw.

"Which would be...?" I enquired. He raised a finger and pointed in a particular direction, which was behind me to be more specific.

"Them." He said. I turned and focused on a table in the corner of the restaurant. To be more exact, my eyes seemed to be observing those who occupied it. In the case, it was four snow leopards, who all seemed to be female. All of them wore the same style clothing which consisted of a vest, a pair of silk pants, sandals and a pair of gloves. Two of the snow leopards had the same colour clothing as well as similar fur patterns. The other two however, were different. The first one had a dark blue and brown vest with black trims as well as brown pants and brown gloves. The other leopard had a red and brown vest with black trims and she also had brown pants and gloves. And each leopard came complete with what looked like red parasols. As they sat there quietly, they all appeared to have saddened expressions.

"Who are they?" I asked. Po shrugged.

"I don't know. I think they came here earlier but they never ordered anything. I wonder why they look so sad." Po replied.

"Maybe we should ask them. It couldn't hurt to see if we can do anything to cheer them up." I suggested. Po nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Come on." He pulled himself up from the table and started to head over to the leopards. I removed my apron, set it down and followed Po. Once we stood inches from the table, their attention turned to us.

"Afternoon, ladies. My friend and I noticed that you all seem pretty dejected. Is something the matter?" I asked politely.

"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing to really concern yourself with. But if its bothering you in anyway, we'll leave." The one with the blue vest said. I waved my hands dismissively.

"Oh, no, no, it's not bothering us at all. We just wondered if we could help you out in anyway."

"It's very kind of you to offer, but what has brought us in this array of sadness cannot be alleviated in any way." She said causing her frown to deepen.

"Geez, sounds like you girls are having a really bad day. What happened?" I asked crossing my arms. She sighed and turned away.

"It's a long tale. I shouldn't bore you with the details..." She said sadly. I took a seat next to her and brought my hands together and I was followed by Po who sat next to the girl with the red vest.

"Oh come on, we'd be willing to listen, right Po?" I asked turning to my friend. He nodded with a smile.

"Of course, I'm all ears." He said. The girl with the blue vest turned to me and thought for a moment before smiling weakly.

"You're very sweet to offer us this kindness. But perhaps we should become properly introduced before I tell you." She suggested.

"Sure. My name is Ben."

"And I'm Po." Po spoke up jerking a thumb to himself.

"And you are...?" I asked the girl with the blue vest. She smiled and held her paw out with the back of it facing me.

"My name is Su."


	54. Chapter 54

_Chapter 54: shady women_

'Su' had her paw held out with the back of it facing me, in a feminine way, if you will. In short, it would seem she expected me to place a kiss on it. I guess it wouldn't hurt to play along. I brought her paw to my lips and gently missed it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Su." I said while I smiled.

"And what's your name?" Po asked the girl with the red vest. She smiled and repeated Su's actions with her own paw.

"My name is Song." She said smiling with her eyes closed. It would seem she was expecting Po to kiss her paw, but she was taken by surprise when he grabbed it and shook it wildly.

"Nice to meet you, Song!" Po said happily. Song had a dazed expression after having her arm nearly ripped off, but she managed to regain her composure.

"You too, Po." She said as she readjusted her glove. I gazed over to the other side of the table and locked my gaze with the identical snow leopards.

"And what are your names, ladies?" I asked. The one of the left giggled and brought a paw to her chest.

"Fook Mi." She said bluntly. My eyes widened and I stared blankly. What did she just say?

"E-excuse me?"

"I said Fook Mi." She repeated. I released a nervous laugh and felt my body heat up. I gulped and tried to speak.

"I-I-I really don't t-think that...you're a cute gal and all...eh, what about you? What's your name?" I asked the other leopard trying to defuse that very spontaneous offer.

"Fook Yu." she said. What the heck? Now that was completely uncalled for...oh, wait a second.

"Wait, wait, your NAME'S are Fook Mi and Fook Yu?" I asked just to confirm. Both nodded with smiles on their faces. "Oh! I see. Heh, when you said Fook Mi I thought...uh, never mind." I finished quickly with an embarrassed expression.

"Anyway, perhaps I should began our story." Su suggested.

"Of course. Go ahead." I said. She took a deep breath before beginning.

"As may have noticed, we're all carrying parasols. The reason for this is because it was a part of our routine that would perform, which involved dancing. You see, we were brought up as entertainers for the emperor and empress . It is all we've ever known. We weren't paid for our service, well, not with money. Instead, with we're provided with food and and a roof over our head. Everything was certainly was going our way."

"If everything seemed so great, I'd imagine a 'but' is coming." I said, aware of where this was going. She sighed sadly and continued.

"Unfortunately, there is. Just about a month ago...our lives took a turn for the worst. We were accused of the crime of stealing the empress' personal diamond necklace."

"Wow...you..didn't, did you?" Po asked. Su shook her head.

"Of course not. We would never do such a thing. We were always loyal to emperor and empress. But it seemed they didn't believe us when we told them we were innocent. Instead of having us arrested, he just threw us out onto the street without anything to help us survive."

"That must have been horrible. I'm sorry you that had to happen to you all." I said sympathetically. I look around at the ladies and saw them all shared saddened expressions.

"You're words mean a great deal to us. It's certainly a change of what we are accustomed to nowadays."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Word had got out to most towns that we were nothing more than thieves. And because of that, we've had difficultly finding work and fitting it. So for a month we've been moving town to town, praying that would could start over. So far we've had no luck. We just arrived in The Valley today. Luckily, no one seems to have acknowledged our false theft, I hope it stays that way." Su finished. When she did, she shut her eyes and lowered her head. I truly didn't know what to say. It must of been horrible for them to have their lives change for the worst that fast. No in deserves to go through that.

"Su...I'm so sorry. I can't imagined how much pain you all have been through together." I said placing my hand on her shoulder.

"We are...truly touched by your sympathy." She said reaching up and and placing her paw over my hand.

"I'm really sorry, too. Is there any way we can help you?" Po asked.

"You don't need to do that. You offered your time to listen. That is enough." Song said giving him a weak smile.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure we could do something. After all, I am the Dragon Warrior. It's my job to help people." Po assured. His words surprised the four snow leopards and they seemed to be...in awe.

"You are the Dragon Warrior?!" Su asked with a perplexed expression.

"Yeah. And Ben is a part of the Furious Six." Po added. The felines remained silent and stared at us, unable to get a word out. But in a matter of seconds they bowed their heads in a rather respectful matter.

"If we had know who's presence we were in, we wouldn't have taken up their time." Su said in a apologetic tone.

"Please, you don't need to bow or anything. And we came over to help you, don't feel bad about it. And you didn't waste our time. Plus, Po's right. We do want to help people. And we want to help you." The ladies began to use their eyes to telepathically communicate with one another until they finally turned back to us.

"If you sincere in your offer...we could use somewhere to spend the night. Just the night, if its not an inconvenience of course." Su said.

"Sure! You can come on to the Jade Palace with us! Right, Ben?" He asked me. I scratched my head.

"Po, um...I don't know. Master Shifu wouldn't-"

"Come on! Master Shifu won't be back for another week. We gotta help them." Po said.

"I...I don't..." I couldn't continue for my eyes switched from one leopard to the other. Each on with an express of...despair. Their eyes dilated, their lips pouting...damn. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let them stay. But you're gonna have to be the one to tell the others." I said to Po.

"No problem. I'll make them understand." Po assured.

"If you think you can, then I suppose we should get going. If you would follow us, ladies. We'll escort you to our home." I said standing up.

"Of course, lead the way." Su said joining me by my side. She held her parasol with both her paws as did the rest of the felines. And with that, we were off. I'm sure it's safe to say that today's gonna be an interesting one. I'm glad I decided to help these gals. They seemed to have had a pretty awful month. Being thrown onto the streets like that...I just hope that letting them spend the night at the palace will help them in any way. Maybe Viper could even cook them a warm meal. I'm sure they would appreciate that. I wonder how the rest if the guys will react. I can guarantee Mantis will be in bliss and I wonder why? Pretty sure you can figure that one out. It didn't take us long to reach the Palace and when we did, we asked for everyone to come to the training hall to talk about our guests. All the guys stood side by side and faced me, Po and the ladies. Po began explaining their story and continued by saying they needed a place to stay.

"That's certainly a sad tale. I'm so sorry you all had to go through that." Viper said, sympathising with our guests.

"We are grateful for kind words, Master Viper." Su said bowing respectively.

"And you say there is no other place for you to spend the night?" Tigress asked with her arms crossed.

"That is correct. We searched around the Valley but we have not find anywhere to stay." Su said.

"None of the inns had any vacancy? None of them?" Tigress added. Su nodded with a frown. Tigress narrowed her eyes and seemed...suspicious.

"I suppose it wouldn't be hard to accommodate them just for one night. Right?" I asked.

"Of course not, we would love to help you four." Viper said with her signature smile.

"There is the matter of space. There is only two unoccupied rooms. Leaving only two beds." Tigress noted.

"That's alright, I can give up my room and bunk with someone else." Po offered.

"Are you sure? We don't want to be an inconvenience." Song said.

"Oh, don't worry about. You need it more than I do." Po said generously. Song smiled.

"Thank you very much, Po." She said.

"And you can bunk with me, buddy. Just as long as you don't mind sleeping on the ground." Monkey offered.

"Thanks, Monk, sounds like a plan."

"I suppose I can give up my room too." I spoke up. I turned to the girls and smiled. "Like Po said, you need it more than we do."

"Thank you, Ben." Su said with a smile.

"If that's the case, then you are welcome to spend the night in my room." Tigress said. I turned to her and smile, receiving one in return.

"Thanks, Ti."

"Now that everything's sorted out, perhaps you ladies would like a tour of our home. Free of charge of course." Mantis offered. Not even five minutes with these women and he's already making his move. Typical.

"I would like that, but I'd like to see a little bit more of the Valley, if you don't mind." Song said.

"Maybe I can come and show you around." Po said. Song gave him a smile.

"I would love that." She held her paw out and waited for him to take it. I guess she was expecting him to take it and gently lead her down to the Valley. Oh boy, was she wrong. Po grabbed her paw and almost ripped it off as the two went flying out of the training hall.

"I'll see you guys, later!" We heard Po shout over his shoulder.

"I for one would like to take a tour of your home. Lead the way, Master Mantis." Su said. And Mantis's interpretation of 'leading the way' was hiddy-backing onto Monkey and telling him where to go. So he lead Su and the twins out of the hall to explore the palace.

"Well, I'm heading to the kitchen for a snack." Crane said before turning to his girlfriend. "Would you like to join me? Free of charge of course." He said, obviously making fun of Mantis. Viper chuckled.

"Sure, lets go." And with that, they lovers were gone, leaving Tigress and I alone.

"I'm a unsure what my father will say when he finds out with let strangers use the Jade Palace as a bed and breakfast." Tigress said.

"I'm sure he'll understand. We're just trying to help them." I said.

"I am always willing to aid those in need, but I just can't help but feel like something's not right."

"Is that how you felt when I spent my first night here?" I asked.

"In your case, I was unsure. I wasn't distrustful of you, but I still remained a bit suspicious."

"And look how that turned out." I smiled. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What was up back there anyway?"

"What exactly do you mean?" She asked.

"The questions that you asked. It almost seemed like you don't believe their story."

"I'm not saying that, but there does seem to be evidence to suggest it." I raised a brow, interesting to hear what she had to say.

"Like...?" I questioned.

"Su said that she had searched around the Valley for a place to stay. Yet Po had said that he saw them for the majority of the day in his fathers shop. There is a large number of inns around the Valley, so how could she have searched that many inns but be in Mr Pings for the majority of the day?"

"Well, you don't know when they arrived at the Valley. They could have come early in the morning." I argued.

"I am willing to accept that point, but what about vacancy wise? Are you willing to believe that every inn in the Valley has no vacancy?" She retorted.

"A lot of people come through here everyday. It makes sense that they would be booked for the large portion of the time."

"I'm unsure if I'm willing to accept that fact. But if did, that still leaves one final piece of evidence. Their appearance."

"Their appearance..?" I questioned in confusion.

"If is true that they have moving from town to town at a pace that quickly, explain how their clothing remains intact, as well as them keeping their fur so clean. Because with what they've said, they haven't been able to acquire work or find a place to stay." I gave a shrug.

"Maybe they choose somewhere clean to sleep on the streets?" Tigress sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid, But I cannot help but feel like something is amiss."

"Hey, it's alright to be a little suspicious, but try not give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm certain you can trust them." I assured.

"And what if you're wrong?" She asked while crossing her arms.

"I'm almost certain I'm right. Tell you what, how about we make a little bet?" Tigress cocked her head.

"And what exactly are the stakes?" I joined my hands together behind my back and slowly paced in front of her with a smirk.

"If it turns out that you're wrong and I'm right about the ladies, then you have to give me a good old fashion foot rub."

"A foot rub?" Ti asked.

"Yeah, I could really go for one. All the training and walking around really does a number on me. And I'm sure your paws would work wonders on my feet." I said wiggling my toes in my shoes.

"Fine. But if it turns out that my suspicious are correct, you must to rub my feet."

"Ha, you got yourself a deal, Miss Tigress."

"Good, I look forward to relaxing and having my feet rubbed. And I'm sure your human hands would work wonders on my feet." She said as she wiggled her toes.

"Yeah, yeah, you keep talking." I said rolling my eyes.

"Anyway, since you're here, would you like to spar?" She asked. Honestly I would usually say yes, but at the moment I had just remembered I had to get back to Viper and ask about...you know the person I'm talking to right now.

"I'd like to, Ti. But I actually need to ask Viper about something." I explained while I scratched my head.

"Oh, I see. Well then, I won't keep you any longer. I'll see you later." She said.

"See you, Ti." And with that, I took my leave. I hope I didn't appear rude or anything, I just wanted to learn what Viper had gathered from Ti. I'm not sure what to expect. If she's not interested in me, then I guess there's nothing I can do about it. But if she does like me...man I don't know what I will do. I guess I should just take my time and plan something when I get the news. And by the way, if you're wondering why I choose a foot rub for the bet winnings, I think it's because I know I'll win. And having the great Master Tigress being forced to rub another persons feet seemed...amusing. Anyway, I should hurry to the kitchen now.

(please leave a review!)


	55. Chapter 55

_Chapter 55: shadows in the night_

It didn't take me too long to reach the kitchen and when I did, I headed inside. Once I was inside I saw both Crane and Viper. Crane was by the counter, helping himself to a bowl of bean buns while Viper was by the table.

"Hey, guys." I greeted as I took a seat next to Viper.

"Well, well, if it isn't the newest co-founder of the Jade Palace Inn." Crane joked before throwing another bean bun into his mouth.

"Yeah, whatever. You know it was the right thing to do." I said leaning back in the chair.

"I know, I'm only joking." He said joining by the table with the bowl of bean buns. I took one for myself and Viper did as well.

"Po was the one who insisted on bringing them here. And besides, they really needed some help. You should have seen them in Mr Ping's. They really looked depressed." I explained as I threw the bean bun in my mouth and began to chew.

"After hearing their story, I'm not surprised. I'm happy we're helping them, they seem like kind people." Viper said.

"Mantis certainly seems like he wants to help them." I said with a smirk. Viper rolled her eyes as she threw a bean bun into her mouth and started to chew.

"More like he's gonna help himself to them." Crane quipped. The three of us shared a laugh before things became silent for a moment. I suppose now is the best time to ask about Tigress. I actually began to feel nervous about what Viper will say. I took a deep breath before leaning forward and bringing my hands together while I turned towards Viper.

"So...Viper, did you um, you know...talk to Tigress?" I asked breaking the silence. She turned to me and nodded.

"I did." She replied quickly.

"Well...what did she say?" I asked while I laid my hands down on the table and leaned forward a little.

"Well, at first she was confused as to why I was asking her if she liked you. But after asking how she feels about you I got her answer." Uncontrollably, my heart began to speed up a little, probably due to my increase of nervousness.

"And...?" I questioned cautiously. Viper took a deep breath while gently placing her tail on my hand. She looked me deep in the eyes before replying.

"She...likes you." After hearing those three words, everything around me almost shook. I found myself unable to operate any part of my body while at the same time, my breathing became aberrant. S-s-she...she l-l-likes me? She, Tigress, likes...ME?! Oh Jesus, I-I couldn't even gather the words to...she likes me! I feel so lightheaded and so...so happy. Happy? Shit, I was in complete bliss! Man, this is the happiest day of my life!

"Uh...Ben, are you okay?" A voiced echoed. I lightly shook my head, dragging myself from my blizzard of thought. I focused back to my surroundings and looked for the source of the echo. I turned and noticed Crane looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Huh-wha?" I slurred.

"I said, are you okay?" He repeated. "You kinda zoned out there for a second."

"I...I did? Sorry, I was just thinking about... did you just say...she likes me?" I questioned.

"That's right." Viper confirmed with a smile spread across her face. I just stared in front of me, saying nothing for a while before I began to...laugh. Yeah, I just laughed. Crane and Viper just stared at me like I was a crazed looney, and you know what? I couldn't blame them! I felt like the happiest guy ever!

"Wow! This is just...wow!" I said while continuing to laugh. But soon, it began to disperse, as I snapped back into reality. "Oh man, what should I do now? Do I tell her or wait, or what-"

"Calm down, Ben!" Viper interrupted. "I understand you're all excited but you need to stay calm." I nodded and took a few breaths before residing into a calm and collective state.

"Alright, okay, I'm calm, I'm calm." I took one finally deep breath before turning to Viper. "So...what do I do?" I asked.

"For the moment, I don't think you should do anything. She's still doesn't completely understood her feelings for you, so she'll need to time to make sense of it."

"Yeah, okay, I can wait. Viper, I can't even thank you enough for..." I silenced myself as I just grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you..." I uttered. I received a chuckle in response.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad I could help my friend."

"So, what should we do now?" I asked while I released Viper from my grasp.

"Well, we can just chat for a while. I'm gonna be making dinner in an hour or so anyway." Viper suggested. I gave a nod as the three of us dwelled into conversation. As time past, Viper soon began to make dinner just around the time the rest of the guys arrived. Well, everyone except Po and Song, who seemed to be still down in the Valley. Once dinner was prepared, everyone began to make idle chat. Su and the twins praised our home and thanked Mantis and Monkey for a tour. And I expect Mantis wanted more than just words to be thanked, the jammy bastard. The whole time, I just made a few comments about what not while staying quiet most of the time. Every so often, my eyes kept drifting off to the gorgeous feline across the table. Her sunset eyes switching from the person who was speaking to the next one. She wore a cute smile that was formed on her face and was complimented by her adorable laughter. Man, ever since I found out that she like me, I just couldn't help but view Tigress a little differently. And by differently, I meant noticing everything that made her a great person. I don't sound like some weirdo, do I? Uh, anyway, everyone had finished their meals and began heading towards the bunkhouse. But I decided to do the dishes to give Viper an early night. Usually Po helps her with the dinner and cleaning up afterwards, but he still wasn't back. Where was the big guy? Was he still hanging out with Song? I wonder if they were getting along. Po certainly took a liking to Song and Song seems like the only female who found his childish nature cute. Mmmmmm, I wonder if she's taken a liking to him. It seems doubtful, but you never know. I finished stacking the last set of dishes and began extinguishing the lanterns that lit up the kitchen before heading towards the bunkhouse. I silently hummed to myself while admiring the night sky. Damn, it was looking pretty. And the silence was certainly a welcomed addition to enjoy such a night. It didn't last too long however as a set of voices was emitting from the darkness ahead of me. I had just reached the steps that led to the bunkhouse and I saw two figures standing halfway up the steps. As I closed the distance between us, I soon discovered that it was Po and Song, who seemed to have their arms...around one another, most likely they were hugging. I stopped in my tracks as I watch the two do the same thing.

"I had a wonderful time, Po. You're so much fun to be around." Song said as she freed herself from his fluffy arms and faced him.

"You think so? You don't find me immature or anything?" Po asked. Song chuckled.

"Of course not, I don't think I have that much fun in my own life."

"Thanks, Song. I had fun too. You're also great to be around." Po said as he nervously tapped his fingers together. She smiled and placed a paw over his cheek.

"Oh, Po, you're so sweet." Her words made Po as well as herself smile. But after staring into his eyes for a moment, her smile faded and her ears fell flat against her head. "Very sweet..." She whispered. She sighed and pulled away with an expression that seemed to read...shame.

"Is something wrong?" Po asked. She raised her gaze to meet his once more and it seemed as if she was struggling to say something.

"It...it's just that...nothing." Song uttered before lowering her head and gripping her parasol with both her paws. Po seemed confused as his eyes drifted towards my direction. His eyes widened after noticing me.

"Oh, Ben! Hey, what's up?" He asked with an embarrassed expression, but Song didn't react to my presence and instead held a shamed expression.

"Nothing much, buddy. I was just heading to the bunkhouse." I explained with a smirk.

"Oh, right, well we better head there too. Why don't you go ahead, Song. I want to talk to be Ben for a second." Po said. Song gave a nod.

"Sure, Po. Just up here, right?" She pointed.

"Yup. My rooms the second last on the left. Don't go to the last one! That's our supply closet." Po instructed. Song nodded before dragging herself towards the bunkhouse.

"Man, I thought I couldn't get rid of her. 'Sweet'? Pff, more like 'awesome warrior'! I'm I right?" Po asked, horribly attempting to mask his true feelings. I smiled while crossing my arms.

"Cut the act. I can already tell you like her." I said bluntly.

"Wha-what?! Nah, come on, I'm a stone cold warrior, I don't do that mushy stuff. I'm...I..." He trailed off as he noticed I remained unconvinced. "Okay! I like her!" He confessed.

"Hey, I'm not judging. You know you can be straight with me." I assured. He gave a sigh of relief before I playfully nudged his arm. "So...you like her, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I just loved spending the day with her. She even actually said that she enjoyed the day with me too! We did this and that down the Valley but what I really loved best was when we watched the stars together by the peach tree. She was even leaning against me, like I was pillow. And when she did, my insides felt all squishy, but in a good way!" I gave a chuckle before patting his shoulder.

"Good to hear, buddy. It seems like you've got yourself a little crush."

"Heh, yeah, maybe. Anyway, we should get some sleep. Maybe I can take Song to get some noodles at my dads shop." He suggested as we walked towards the bunkhouse.

"I'm sure she'd like that, Po." The two of us reached the bunkhouse and Po was the first to enter. I was just about to followed behind, but my ears picked up the sound of something shuffling to my left. I turned and had just noticed that Song was sitting beneath the tree that was next to the entrance of the bunkhouse. She was hardly noticeable due to just how dark it was. "Song?" I asked aloud. Upon hearing my voice, she meet my gaze before standing up.

"Oh, Ben...hello..." She greeted quietly.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was just...admiring the night sky..." She explained.

"Like you did with Po up by the peach tree?" She gave a nod. "He told me that he had a great time with you. And, I think he's even taking a liking to you." I said with a smile. I had expected her to give a smile of her own, but instead her expression turned into a saddened one.

"H-he does?" She asked. I gave a nod, wondering why she looked so down. She shut her eyes. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong? Why do you seem so down?" I asked with concern in my voice. She meet my gaze and it appeared as if though she wanted to tell me something but couldn't.

"I-I...I can't do this. Ben, I...need to tell you something. I'll understand if you'll be mad, but-"

"Song! There you are, I was so worried!" A voiced chimed from behind me. I turned to see Su, who was looking upon Song with a concerned expression. She rushed towards her with her arms out open. As she drew closer to Song, I had expected to two to embrace, but instead, Song appeared as if though she wanted to...get away from her. Unfortunately for her, she was pulled into a right embrace by her friend. She just waited for Su to stop as her arms laid flat against her.

"I-I'm fine, Su." Song spoke with an almost...frightened tone. Su released her from the hug and smiled.

"I'm just glad you're alright. You've been gone for so long, I was frightened that something might have happened to you." Su said with relief.

"Nah, she's alright. She just got caught up with hanging out with Po." I explained. Su turned to me with a smile before turning back to Song.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'll certainly would like to hear about that in the morning. But you look tired. Come, we should head inside and rest." Su suggested. I gave a nod as the three headed inside. Su headed into my room as Song stood outside Po's. Before she entered the room, she turned to me with her eyes that turned...furtive. She shut her eyes before she turned away and retreated into Po's room. That was...weird. Why did she look at me like that? What has she got to feel guilty about? She did seem like she wanted to tell me something outside, what could it have been? Ah well, I suppose I could find out tomorrow. I crept down the hall and stopped outside Tigress's room. I could see a light flickering within, concluding she was still awake. I started to feel a little nervous, but I just took a few deep breaths for lightly tapping on her door.

"Come in." She spoke from within. I opened her door and saw her lying sideways on her bed with a book in her paws. She smiled before closing the book and lying it next the lit candle on a table that was beside her bed. "Ben, hello." She greeted. I entered the room and closed the door behind me.

"Hey, Ti. It was getting late and...you know my rooms taken and you said that I could...spend the night here." I said while rubbing the back of my head nervously. She nodded and cleared her throat.

"I did. Well, unfortunately the floor is all I can accommodate you with." She said.

"Ah, that's alright. I'll be fine. I'll just...sleep here." I said waving my my hands over the spot next to her bed.

"Alright, we should get ready to turn in." Ti suggested. I nodded as I began to prepare for bed. I unfastened my vest and folded it up to create a surrogate pillow. Once it was laid on the ground, I kicked off my shoes and tucked my socks into them. Finally, I positioned myself on the ground next to Ti's bed. I looked up to see her blow out her candle, allowing nothing but darkness to cloud the room.

"Goodnight, Tigress." I whispered.

"Goodnight, Ben." She whispered back. I sighed while snuggling into into my vest. I shut my eyes and waited for sleep to come. It proved difficult however, due to my thoughts betraying me and caused me to chuckle. I couldn't help it to be honest. The fact I'm sleeping in Tigress's room was actually making me chuckle. And it would seem that it caught Tigress's attention.

"What is so amusing?" She asked turning to me. I gazed towards her and was dazed by the sight of her eyes, which were illuminated in the night. Damn they looked so...nice. I shook my head and focused.

"I was just thinking about something." I replied.

"Would you care do elaborate on that?" She joked. I laughed inwardly before turning my whole body towards her while leaning on my hand.

"I was just thinking about...you and me and how far we've come." I explained.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just...we didn't exactly get off on the right foot when I arrived here. If I remember, you didn't like me at all." I remained her. She sighed in response before averting her eyes.

"Yes...I treated you unfairly. Horribly even. I wasn't sure why either. You did nothing but attempt to speak with me, and I refused you." She said shamefully.

"And look where we are now. Having a sleepover in your room." I joked. Tigress shut her eyes and laughed inwardly. She reopened her eyes and smiled at me.

"We certainly have been through thick and thin together the last couple of months. I believe it has built up a...strong bond between us."

"I couldn't agree more, Ti. I'm glad things turned out the way they did."

"Me too." She said before lying down and shutting her eyes.

"And Ti?"

"Mmm?"

"You still owe me that foot massage." I reminded. She scoffed.

"I still have until tomorrow." She noted.

"Fine, I'll give you some more time." I yawned and laid down while closing my eyes. "Goodnight, Ti."

"Goodnight, Ben." She muttered. God, what a day. Helping Po at his dads shop, helped the homeless snow leopards and found out that...Tigress likes me. I really was a little clueless as to what to do. Viper said I should wait until she has had time make sense of it all. But what do I do after I give her time? Should I...ask" target="_blank"I...ask her out? To where? To do what? What if she doesn't want to go out? What do I do then?! Okay, okay, I need to calm down. I'm really thinking to far ahead here. I guess I should deal with this when it comes. As for now, my old friend sleep is awaiting. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, awaiting to fall asleep. After a while...I...everything became...

...

"...t..ay...qu...ie...t."

"...orry..." Wha...what" target="_blank"Wha...what the? I found my eyes beginning to creep open as I something seemed to have woken me up. My vision had blurred but was focused enough to silhouettes shuffling outside the room. I rubbed my eyes and turned to Tigress was sound asleep. I quietly stood up, feeling a little fatigued as I put on my socks and shoes before I crept towards the door and opened it. I looked down one side of the hallway before looking down towards the entrance. When I did, I swear I saw the end of a tail sweep around the corner. What the heck is going on? Was someone creeping around the Palace. I better check it out. I picked up a little speed and exited the bunkhouse swiftly. I kept my eyes peeked for whoever was moving around and I spotted someone who had just reached the bottom of the steps. To avoid producing too much sound, I followed quickly in the grass beside to steps. Once I reached the bottom of the steps, I ducked down and waited for whoever to keep moving. Whoever they were, they seemed to be heading towards the Hall of Warriors. But why? Who the hell were they? I guess I shouldn't sit here asking questions and just follow them. I kept low as well as keeping a safe distance as I pursued them all the way towards the Hall of Warriors and waited for them to enter. I still couldn't make out who it was, goddamn it was dark. Once they had entered the hall, I started to head to it as fast as I could. As soon as I reached the large doors, I pressed my back against the one that was closed and peaked into the one that was only. And inside, I saw...the girls?! Wha...what? What were they doing?

"Su, I'm begging you. Please reconsider." Song begged. Su turned to Song violently growled.

"You'd be wise to shut that little mouth of yours, Song." She spat before approaching her with a deadly glare. "Or I'll personally tear it from your face." Oh my god. What the hell is wrong with her? She wasn't the sweet and kind women I met this morning. This was a goddamn malicious monster!

"Su, please, these are good people. We can't do this to them." Song begged once more but back away when she did.

"Bah! That was always you're problem, Song. You're too soft. And now, you've made the idiotic choice of taking an interest in that flabby tub of goo." Su spoke harshly. Oh that bitch better not be talking about Po. Song's faced flared with anger.

"Don't you dare talk about him that way!" She shouted. Immediately, she was backhanded by Su, which sent her to the ground as her parasol rolled across the ground. The entire time, the twins just watched with frightened expressions. Song held her cheek in pain while staring up at the deadly snow leopard who glared down at her with her teeth displayed.

"And don't you dare speak to me like that!" She roared. she lowered herself to Song's level and lifted her chin. "Now, I'm giving you a choice. You either help us bring these artefacts back to our camp..." Her grip tightened on her chin as she pressed her face against Song's. "or I swear, I'll pluck those pretty little eyes of yours out of their sockets. Do you understand?" Song just stared at her with a horrified expressions before she shut her eyes and nodded. Enough of this madness. I shoved opened the door I was leaning against, immediately catching everyone's attention.

"Enough!" I shouted, causing my voice to echo throughout the hall. Su shot back to her feet and gripped her parasol.

"Ben! Oh my this is just embarrassing, I should have mentioned that Song sleepwalks. I was just-"

"Cut the act, you sadist bitch, I saw and heard everything." I growled with my fists clenched. Her eyes narrowed at me.

"I see, well, it seems we've got ourself into...quite a predicament." She spoke calmly as she started to fumble with her parasol. Yeah, what's she gonna do with that, stop the rain from getting on my head? I dwelled further into the hall uniting I reached Song. I grabbed her paw and helped her to her feet. Once that was out of the way, I turned back to Su.

"That's not what I would call this. What I would call it would be, me taking your ass to jail." I shot back.

"Jail? Oh my." She chuckled at my words. "You actually think that's how this will play out?"

"I don't see how else you're getting out of this. You'd make it easier on yourself if you come quietly. And I hope you do, I don't like to hit women."

"Oh, such a gentlemen. An interesting offer, but unfortunately I'll have to decline. You see, I must be heading back to my camp to rethink my plan since you've just ruined my primary one."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't fret, I will be able to answer any questions you have. After all, you're coming with me." Ha! Like I would come with...why is she pointing her parasol at me? In the blink of an eye, the sound of something being shot out of a flute echoed throughout the hall as I felt something hit my chest. And it hurt! I pivoted my head towards my chest and saw...a dart sticking out of it. Really? A dart? That's all she's got? I smirked as I plucked it from my skin and let it drop to the ground.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that too...a lot more too...uhhh..." I couldn't finish my sentence as I suddenly found myself becoming...enervated. Everything started to become blurry and I soon had difficulty controlling my balance to the point where I collapsed to the ground. I stared up at the ceiling, trying my hardest to breath normally. Suddenly, Su came into view as she stared down at me with a wicked smile.

"What's the matter? Feeling...tired?" She asked.

"Wha...what did you...do to me?" I demanded weakly.

"Just a little tranquilliser. You'll be sleeping in no time."

"Y-you...anaesthetised me? You...bitch..." I groaned, finding myself slowly losing consciousness. Su turned to the other girls and started to bark orders. But her words started to become distant.

"Alright, y...u...hree, grab hi...m and ta...k...e him to t...he rest of...gi...rls...outsi...de...Valley." Everything just became quiet, as I...as I...


	56. Chapter 56

_Chapter 56: stockholm syndrome_

I groaned loudly as I found myself slowly awaking from a deep slumber. As I pried my eyes open, , I began to see double of everything that was in sight and a lot of it was blurry as hell. After allowing myself time to focus my vision, I discovered that I seemed to be inside a tent. There wasn't much to describe except it had basic ample provisions such as a bed and lantern. I noticed brief fractions of sunlight slip through the cracks of the entrance flaps of the tent. I turned my gaze ahead of me and noticed a figure standing there, but I was unable to make out who it was. I blinked a few times, making the figure become more transparent and I soon discovered it was...Su!

"Well, good morning, handsome." She greeted mockingly with a smirk. Instinctively, I attempted to leap out and grab her. But to my dismay, I was unable to move at all! I looked down to discover I was tied tightly to a chair. My arms were bound behind the the back of the chair while my legs were bound to the two front legs. I struggled as hard as I could, desperately trying to free myself. But it was no use. "I wouldn't waste my energy if I were you. It won't do you any good." Su said while approaching me. I growled violently at her.

"You goddamn thief! I can't believe I fell for your crap!" I shouted. She chuckled while spinning her closed parasol in her paws.

"Oh, don't take it personally. All I wanted was access to your home." She explained.

"So you coax me and friend and take advantage of our kindness, just so you could steal our artefacts?!" She laughed.

"Indeed I did! It was quite a little plan I had concocted and you had to ruin it by barging in when you did. All that time wasted just so you could take it away from me within a flash"

"Everything about you was nothing but lies, wasn't it? You fabricated everything!" Her smile deepened.

"Wonderful, isn't it? Believe me, I didn't come up with it over night. This took over a month to plan! I planned down to the tiniest detail. Everything fell into place and I was this close to receiving the loot of a lifetime. But you and that weak-willed little brat had to foil everything." Brat? Who did she...wait!

"You mean Song? What did you do to her? Where is she?!" I demanded.

"She's unharmed. She's even tied to a little chair of her own. In fact, she's right behind you." I pivoted my head as far as it could go and I caught a glimpse of the snow leopard behind me. It looked like her head was hung low. Was she unconscious?

"Song? Song, can you hear me?" I asked.

"I'm...I'm okay..." She whispered back. Good, she was alright. I turned my attention back Su.

"Listen, Su, this doesn't have to go this way. If you release me and Song now, I promise things will be made easy on you. You'll only make your situation worse if you try anything stupid. So, please, do the right thing here." I reasoned. She stared at me with a confused expression. I had only hoped my words had convinced her in any way. Unfortunately, she merely shrugged.

"No thank you, I think I'll stick with stealing from your home." She sneered.

"That will never happen. If you step one foot on the Palace grounds, my friends will stop you. You won't stand a chance." I pointed out.

"I couldn't agree more. That's why I have you." She began to explain. She removed the glove from her right paw before she reached out and placed it on my cheek. Soon she started stroking it gently with her thumb. "My little bargaining chip. You see, I'm going to walk straight into your home and demand anything I see fit. And if they refuse or try anything dumb..." She became silent as her expression turned satanic. Her claws erected and sank into my cheek. I hissed loudly as she slowly dragged them downwards. "I'll bring you to them piece by piece." She pulled her claws away and secured her glove back on.

"You're a monster. A sick and twisted being who needs serious help." She merely laughed.

"You certainly have a way with words. Naturally, I would love to continue to converse with a good friend, but alas, duty calls. I'm sure your friends will be up and about, searching for you. It would only seem right to inform them of your whereabouts. So, I bid you a sincere farewell." Su bowed before turning and leaving the tent.

"Goddammit!" I shouted. I tried fidgeting with the binds on my hands and legs by the damn things wouldn't budge. Maybe I could topple the chair to the side. No, I'd still be tied to the thing. There's-there's gotta be something!

"I'm sorry..." Song whispered. I craned my head towards her.

"Song, you-"

"I should have told you, I tried to, but I was afraid of what Su would do to me of I did. For the majority of my life, all I did was fearfully follow orders. She's right, I am weak. I always have been. And now I've allowed myself to become interested in someone, just so I could break his heart..." Song spoke with sadness in her voice. I just sat silently, listening to her pour her heart out. Jesus, I didn't know it was that hard on her. She doesn't deserve this.

"Song, listen to me, you're not weak, you were scared. That's completely understandable, but it doesn't make you weak. I could that you're a good person, you still are. You can't just give up now, you can still make things right. We just need to find I way out of here. I promise you if we tell the others your story, they'll believe, they'll forgive you. That includes Po." I assured. Song sat silent for a moment before her head slowly pivoted towards me.

"You...you really think we can make this right?" She asked. I gave a nod with a smile.

"I do. We just need to work together on getting out of here." I allowed Song some time to ponder to make a choice. A smile spread across my face as I saw her nod.

"Okay, I'm with you."

"Good, alright, if we can get these bindings off somehow, we can hurry back to the Palace and stop Su." I said.

"We're both tied up, how are we suppose to get them off?" Song asked. Shit, how are we gonna do that? There must be something, anything. While I thought to myself for some time, something slipped its way into the edge of my mouth. Once it connected with my tongue, there was a distinct hint of...iron in it. That's when I realised it was the blood from the wound. Goddamn her claws really did a number...wait, I got it!

"Song, where are your paws right now?" I asked.

"They're tied behind the chair." She replied.

"Are you able to move them towards my hands?" I heard her grunt as they sound of movement emitted from behind me. Suddenly, I felt her gloves brush against me.

"Yeah, I can feel them."

"Alright, if you can, try to use your claws to cut through my bindings." I instructed.

"But I'll ripped my gloves."

"I think we have far more important things to worry about than keeping your gloves intact." I spoke, pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah, okay. Here we go." I heard the sound of a slight tear followed by a whimper. I then felt her claws against my wrists.

"Good, now just-" I cut myself off as the flaps to the tent opened and another snow leopard stepped inside. I had no idea who she was, but she immediately began to look me over as I did the same. She basically wore similar attire to the twins and...well, all in all, she just looked the same as them. After she looked me over, she chuckled.

"My, my, Su never told me I'd be supervising a man. That will certainly make things interesting." She spoke with a smile on her face. She leaned herself slightly to the right and spotted Song. "Ah, Song, I should have known you'd choke on the mission. I'm very disappointed." The leopard spoke as she stood with her arms crossed. Oh crap, this'll make things complicated. I turned slightly and used my eyes to lock onto Song.

"Just keep her busy..." She whispered. I turned back to the leopard and quickly devised a plan. I hope the god this works. I cleared my throat and smiled.

"So, uh...you're gonna be keeping an eye on us, huh?" I asked. The leopard gave a nod.

"Yes, Su's orders. I'll be making sure you don't try anything funny." She replied.

"Well, I certainly feel lucky to have you watching us." She raised a brow suspiciously.

"And why would that be?"

"It's just I the pleasure of having such a beautiful lady watching me. I mean, I've seen some beautiful women in my time, but you, you're something special." She smiled at my words and placed a paw on her hip.

"Oh? And what exactly is it about me that's so...special?" She asked swaying her hips slightly.

"Well, you know, you um...have such pretty eyes and you're body is so...attractive." She giggled at my words.

"Oh my, I'm glad Su chose me to watch you. Things could get very...interesting..." She spoke with something sounding almost...amorous in her tone. I swallowed nervously. Throughout the whole conversation, I felt Song's claws beginning to cut their way through my bindings. But, it hardly felt like they were a quarter of the way through. I better have a lot more words to use if I want this to work. Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into.

Earlier that day, at the Jade Palace...

As the night became swallowed by the day, the sky turned from a dark, black blanket to a majestic shade of orange, curtsy of the sun. The light emitted from it sank through the windows of the Jade Palace, illuminating everything in its path. And one particular person was awoken from it. Inside the room of the Master Tigress, she found her deep slumber being interrupted by the morning sky. Her fur was brightened up by the suns rays, which also started to heat it up, awakening her instantly. She groaned as her eyes began to open, allowing her to find her room brightened up by the morning sky. She brought a paw to her eyes and started to cleanse the sleep from it. Once all her senses focused she sat up on her bed and stretched while yawning. Finally, she stood up and took one step ahead of her before halting completely. She looked down towards the ground and found that her foot had bumped into...Ben's vest? She looked at it with a confused look before reaching down and picking it up. She turned it from front to back to examine it. There was Ben's vest, yet no Ben. Had he gotten up early for something?

'Why didn't bring his vest with him?' Tigress thought to herself. Her thoughts were silenced as a scent entered Tigress's nostrils. She took one whiff and soon discovered that the pheromone was emitting from Ben's vest. She brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply. The scent caused her to smile as she found it to be very...sweet. This wasn't the vest itself causing the smell, it was the wearers. It was...Ben's scent. Tigress's eyes widened as she just realised what she had done.

'Wha-why did I do that?' Her thoughts asked. She felt embarrassed as she tossed the vest onto her bed and tried to control her thoughts. It was just a scent, everyone she knew had one. It allowed her to track them easily in case something happened to them. But this one was different. She found it...strange. It smelled...sweet. It even made her smile! How come she never noticed it before? She's been around him for so long, yet she's never felt this way about it. It...it even made her insides feel...so odd.

"Control yourself." Tigress quietly ordered herself. She took a deep breath before residing into a calm state. Yet her thoughts still pressed on the matter.

'I suppose some breakfast will help me clear my mind.' She thought, immediately agreeing with herself. Before she left her room, the sound of her friends awakening filled the soundless air. She opened her bedroom door and stepped outside at the same time as her friends did. She smiled at the sight of them all groggily pulling themselves out of their rooms.

"Good morning." Tigress greeted, catching everyone's attention.

"Morning." They all replied in unison.

"Oh, I feel so rejuvenated. Nothing like a good nights rest to help you feel good." Viper yawned.

"Speak for yourself. I could barely catch a wink of sleep with this guys snoring." Monkey said in annoyance. Po crossed his arms, displaying that he took offence to his remark.

"Hey! I don't snore...do I?" He asked turning to his friends for an answer.

"Yeah, you do. I thought there was an earthquake one time it was so loud." Mantis jested. The rest shared a brief chuckle before looking down the hallway.

"I see our guests are still asleep." Crane noted.

"We should let them sleep in, I doubt they're used to waking up at this hour." Viper suggested before continuing, "anyway, we should get breakfast started and...hey, where's Ben? Is he still sleeping, Tigress?"

"Damn, you weren't that rough on him last night, were you?" Mantis joked. Monkey covered his mouth and suppressed his laughter as Viper shot a glare at Mantis.

"Mantis!" She scolded.

"Oh, come on! I'm obviously just joking." He said. Tigress had her arms crossed and was trying to keep her natural demeanour while also attempting to cloak a blush that had appeared on her face.

"Nothing of the sort happened, Mantis. We shared a room, that is all." Tigress informed him.

"I said I was joking! I swear, I make one joke and I get crucified for it." Viper sighed and shook her head.

"So...is Ben there or what?" Po asked. Tigress allowed her arms to fall to her side.

"I am uncertain of his whereabouts. He wasn't here this morning but his vest was." She replied.

"That's weird, he doesn't usually go anywhere without it." Crane noted.

"You think something happened to him?" Po asked.

"I'm sure he's fine. Come on, lets go to get breakfast." Monkey said as Mantis leapt onto his shoulder. They were the first to the leave the bunkhouse and were followed by everyone else. Tigress was last to exit, allowing her to walk alone with her thoughts. It was just like Mantis to make such remarks. He never did know when he was going too far. To think, he would make a joke about her and Ben doing...Tigress was unable to finish the thought it was so embarrassing! She would never think of Ben in...that way. She respected him, cared for him but she would never think of him in that way. Yet...she remembered when he thought her how to swim. That day...that memory always found a way out of her subconscious. She remembered standing in the middle of that lake with his arms...his large muscular arms around her. Holding her tightly as he smiled down on her. Her heart was beating at an uncontrollable speed while she helpless stared into his eyes. If she hadn't brought her emotions under control that day...things might of turned out completely different. Tigress mentally slapped herself, desperately trying to bring her thoughts under control. She just needed to clear her mind. Surely breakfast and conversation with friends should do the trick. Once the group had reach the kitchen, Po and Viper started breakfast while the others conversed by the table.

"Look, Ti, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to be an ass." Mantis apologised.

"It's fine, Mantis. Just think before you speak next time." Tigress said.

"Yeah, okay." Mantis spoke while turning to a particular panda, who was busy preparing breakfast for everyone with Viper. A mischievous grin crept it's way onto the little bugs face. "So...Po, you didn't get in until late last night. What exactly did you and Song do yesterday?" Po ceased to move as all eyes in the room were laid upon him. He swallowed nervously and turned while gripping a wooden spoon.

"Well, we, uh, you know...just hung out." Po stuttered, on the verge of losing his composure.

"Hung out, huh? Sounds like a euphemism for smooching." Mantis said as he began to simulate missing noises. The others shared a chuckle as Po rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"There was no kissing! We just...spent the day together. She's a...nice girl." Po said while he returned to cooking.

"Seems like you've taken a liking to her, buddy." Monkey commented.

"Maybe. She was really fun to be around and she didn't think I was being childish!" Po said with a smile.

"I say go for her, big guy. You don't know when you'll find another girl like her." Mantis advised.

"You think...I should?" Po asked looking towards his friends.

"Yeah, you deserve to have someone in your life." Viper replied.

"Well, I was thinking of bringing her for a meal at my dads shop." Po said.

"I'm sure she'll enjoy herself just as long as your there with her." Crane said with a smile.

"Okay then! When she wakes up I'll ask her out." Po spoke with determination in his voice. He resumed cooking while silently humming a tune to himself while the others just continued to converse for almost an hour. And throughout the whole time neither Ben or the ladies showed. The others assured themselves that nothing was wrong, but Tigress disagreed. She sat silently with her thoughts worrying her. Where was Ben? Surely by now he should have turned up. And the ladies weren't up either. Something didn't feel right to her. It was like her mind was telling her that something was wrong, and usually her hunches were correct. As she began to contemplate various reasons for the absence of both their guests and her friend, the sound of someone entering the kitchen caught everyone's attention. All eyes turned towards the person who entered and discovered a very fatigued Zeng.

"M-masters...one of your...guests is...down by the arena grounds and...she...she has demanded your presence." Zeng informed while desperately trying to catch his breath.

"What do you mean? Who demanded our presence?" Viper asked. Zeng took a moment to finally control his breathing before offering a response.

"A woman. She identified herself as Su. She's down by he arena grounds with exactly twelve other snow leopards." He replied. Everyone began to share glances of confusion.

"Twelve? Last time I checked she had three others with her." Crane noted.

"We better get down there and find out what's going on." Viper suggested as she rushed out the door with everyone else following closely. Once they had headed outside, they rushed towards the Hall of Warriors and follow the steps down towards the arena and soon found Su with twelve other snow leopards surrounding her. The Jade Palace warriors kept their distance from them while confusion filled the air.

"Zeng was right." Monkey uttered to his friends while overlooking the snow leopards.

"I don't understand..." Viper spoke with a perplexed expression.

"Good morning! I must say it is a beautiful day, is it not?" Su asked as she stepped forward with her paws behind her back and a villainous smirk plastered on her maw.

"Su, what...who are all these people? I thought there was only you and three of your friends." Viper asked. Su started to pace slowly back and forth.

"Yes, that is what it seemed like, wasn't it? I must apologise Viper for I have been deceiving you all this entire time. Everything I have said about myself was nothing more than a little...fib." Su replied.

"You mean you were lying to us this entire time?" Po asked.

"Correct, Dragon Warrior. I've been playing you all like the fools you are. You see, I never really needed a place to stay. I just wanted what you have. The artefacts from your home." Su continued to explain.

"You cajoled us with your pity to acquire access to our home, in order to steal from us?" Tigress asked. Su laughed loudly.

"Rather devious of me wasn't it?" She asked.

"I'd prefer the word 'idiotic.' You call us fools yet you have just openly revealed your true intentions. I believe that's enough evidence for us to convict you." Tigress said while positioning herself into a fighting stance alongside her fellow warriors. "And with that I offer two choices; Surender now or we'll be forced to use violence to apprehend you." Su's smiled deepened.

"Oh I don't believe you would like if it went either way..." She said.

"And why would that be?" Crane asked.

"If you attempt you stop me from getting what I want, I'll have your friend killed." Su replied. The Five and Po glanced at one another, knowing full well who she was talking about.

"Ben?!" Tigress shouted.

"That's right. He's tied to a chair at my camp, sitting and waiting, while his fate lies with his friends." Tigress released a menacing growl.

"I swear if you laid one finger-" Tigress was silenced as Su removed her glove and revealed dry blood on her claws.

"Oops...too late." She mocked as she dragged her tongue across her claws and released a satisfied moan. Tigress displayed her teeth and erected her claws. "Ah, ah! Think before you act, Master Tigress. One wrong move and I'll do much worse than I've already done." Su warned. Tigress growled once more but withdrew her claws and cloaked her teeth. "Good, now...let us discuss terms."

(Leave a review please!)


	57. Chapter 57

_Chapter 57:_ mutiny

Back at Su's camp...

"And I just can't help but feel lonely. We hardly have males pass through here. It really takes a toll on us gals." The feline said. I grumbled and nodded in response. To try and sum things up here, the snow leopard or Mia as she has called herself, just began to talk on about what not while she seated herself sideways on my lap with her arms around me and her face pressed against my cheek, making her whiskers tickle me slightly. And my god all she did was talk on and on. I suppose I should view this as advantage considering she was too distracted to take note of Song freeing me, but she just keeps talking about how frustrating it is to be part of an all female camp. She mentions how it really affects her and her...needs. Needless to say, I certainly became nervous and uncomfortable with the lack of insight about where she was steering this conversation. I hope nowhere that involves me having my clothing ripped off. Throughout this whole time, Song had really made some progress on my bindings and I could feel them starting to loosen. All I need to do is keep Mia busy for a few more minutes. I suppose I did sweet-talk her enough to try and get her to see reason. Maybe it was worth a shot. It would certainly be a lot more preferable than striking a lady. Screw it, I'll take a chance.

"Listen, Mia, I've really...enjoyed our chat but...there's something I need to ask you." I spoke up. She rubbed her cheek against my own and chuckled inwardly.

"Of course, what is it?" She asked as she began to purr.

"It's just that you seem like such a nice girl and I don't think you should be doing this. Even you can clearly see how crazy Su is. And now she's going to steal from my home. I can't let that happen, Mia. She needs to be stopped and I know we can do it. But I can't if you don't help me out. So...will" target="_blank"So...will you be willing to help me out, Mia?" I asked in a reasonable manner. I waited for her to offer a reply while she contemplated. After a short moment she made her choice.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I'm afraid I can't do that. Su just has more to offer. Mainly money."

"So you're just gonna let her get away with this?" I asked.

"Oh, come now, it's not all bad. We've had a wonderful time conversing. It's not often I get to talk to a man for this long." She replied. After reviewing her own words, a smirk spread across her face. Her purring amplified as she ceased from sitting on my lap sideways and instead sat on them with her entire body facing me. "Come to think of it...I've never had a man at my will...so vulnerable...so helpless..." Oh shit. If I didn't appear nervous before, I sure as hell was now. Goddamnit, Song, hurry up!

"Ha, eh, wha-what...um...what do you mean?" I asked, stuttering across each word while I started to pull my head back. But the felines grasp tightened around my neck and she forced my head towards the hem of her vest, causing the exposed fur to brush the tip of my nose. I stared up helplessly at the excited cat while her fingers guided themselves through my long hair.

"Don't play coy. I've already mentioned how lonely I get. You're a man who can alleviate my...needs. So lets stop talking and start having some fun..." She growled. Oh god, oh god! I'm about to freak to hell out here! I REALLY don't want this to happen! During my little panic attack, I felt the bindings on my wrist break! Thank Christ! Out of instinct, I whipped one hand from behind the chair and targeted the back of Mia's neck. Once my fingers connected with it, I started striking nerve points and the base of her spine. Instantly, Mia's eyes widened and she shot straight upwards. Shortly afterwards, she started to fall backwards. I reached out with both hands and allowed her descend to the ground to soften. Don't worry, all I did was knock her out. Just a little central nerve training that we use for non-lethal takedowns. Thank you, Master Shifu.

"Oh thank god." I spoke with relief. I rubbed my wrists before reaching down and started to free my legs. As soon as I was free, I stood up and began to free Song from her bindings.

"That certainly could have gone better." Song jested. I freed her from her restraints and she stood up, facing me.

"Yeah, very funny. I was almost molested by a hormone driven cat. I suppose jokes are appropriate." I said with annoyance. Song stroked her neck shamefully.

"Sorry. At least it didn't come to that."

"Yeah, I'm grateful for that. Anyway, we have to get back to the Palace right now. I won't let that crazy woman rob my home." I said while heading to flaps to the tent.

"Ben, wait!" Song shouted. But I had already peaked through the flaps and I...I...oh Fook Mi. It seemed that I was in the middle of Su's camp and I saw a number of different tents scattered around in an open area. The entire place was protected by large wooden stakes that I'd imagine acted as walls. But what really made my eyes widened was that the camp grounds was occupied by...a hell of a lot of snow leopards. I mean, they were fricking everywhere! Mia did say that this was an all female camp and they are everywhere. Female...felines surrounding me...oh dear, I believe I'm about the say something that is unavoidable. Like the elephant in the room, this almost feels like is it needs to be mentioned. I sincerely apologise in advance for the obscenity I'm about to say. Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially; surrounded by pussy. Thank you for bearing through that with me and we shall now continue our journey. While being distracted I felt my hair being yanked, causing me to fumble backwards. I yelped in pain as it almost felt like my hair was being ripped out.

"Ow! Damn, Song, that hurt!" I spoke while rubbing the back of my head.

"I told you to wait. This place is crawling with Su's guards." Song said as she peaked outside the tent. "We're not gonna get out of here conventionally. We step on foot outside and they'll stop us.

"Well, what do we do then?" I asked.

"I...I'm not sure. Maybe I could try and reason with them." Song suggested. I jerked my thumb towards the unconscious feline on the ground.

"I already tried that. As you can see, it didn't turn out well."

"Mia was Su's myrmidon. There was no chance she'd turn on her. But, the rest of the girls will see reason, they're just like me; they follow orders out if fear."

"I can't stick around and hope that works. I need to get back to my home right now and stop Su." Song looked at me for a moment before gazing out at the other snow leopards. I knew by her expression that she had concocted an idea.

"Okay, I'll gather their attention while you head back to the Palace. I'll do my best to try and get them to see reason. And if I do, I'll make my way to the Palace to help you."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you know how I can get back to the Valley from here?" She opened a flap and pointed outside.

"Over there is the entrance and exit to the camp. Once you get outside, just keep heading south and you'll get there. Just wait for me to get everyone's attention, then get out of the camp and stop Su."

"Okay. Good luck, Song. I know you that you can get them on your side."

"Thank you, I'll try my best." Song took a deep breath before leaving the tent and headed to the centre of the camp. "Ladies! Ladies!" She yelled. The entire camps attention turned to Song. "I need to speak to you urgently. Please gather around me." She requested. All the girls muttered to one another as they cautious made their way towards Song. Now's my chance. I exited the tent and snuck around other tents to avoid detection. Quickly and swiftly, I made my way to the exit of the camp and I soon broke out in a full sprint once I had left. I had no goddamn where I was right now but I just kept going south like Song said. Hopefully I'll come across familiar territory. And so, I just ran and ran, non stop. Even with the distance I've covered, I still found my surroundings to be nothing but open fields and forests. There was practically no sight of civilisation anywhere. I couldn't help but admire the fact Su was smart enough to keep her camp in the middle of nowhere. But it was really an inconvenience for me. If I didn't hurry the hell up, my home was going to be robbed. With that in mind I picked up the pace. Eventually, I soon came across The Valley; my home. I took a moment to catch my breath so I would have enough willpower to get to the top of those steps. I jogged through The Valley streets and started to make my way up the Palace steps. As I started to close in on the arena grounds, the sound of voices filled the air.

"...let us discuss terms." A voice echoed. I soon identified it as Su's. I kept low and peaked through the large wooden doors that led into the arena. Inside I saw exactly...twelve snow leopards surrounding Su. Ahead of her, my friends stood facing her from a distance.

"First you kidnap our friend, now you have the nerve to bargain with his life?" Viper enquired with a hiss.

"It is rather devious of me, isn't it? And I do believe it will work." Su stated. Time to make an entrance. I stood up and entered the arena.

"I have to disagree with you Su." I stated, grabbing everyone's attention. All the snow leopards parted, allowing me clear view of a surprised Su. My friends were shocked as well but soon smiles spread across their faces.

"Wha-how did you...?" Su was shocked beyond belief at my presence and her priceless expression showed it.

"A little coaxing can go a long way. Well, I'm sure YOU already knew that." I began to explain.

"Mia was my second in command! How did you escape from her?!" Su demanded.

"Like I said, coaxing along with a little sweet talking." I answered. Su expression turned furious as I stood a couple of feet away from her. A smirk spread across my face. "I know, it was rather...devious of me." I mocked.

"You may now have the advantage but I will not surrender myself! Girls!" She shouted as her parasol sprouted a sharp, metal blade. The other snow leopards did they same and I readied myself for a fight when they did. They all surrounded me with their blades raised, seeming like at any moment they were ready to strike. Before anyone could make a move, I saw Tigress leap into the air and land beside me. She raised her fists and released an intimidating growl.

"Stop!" A voiced yelled. Everyone turned towards the source of the noise and discovered that it was Song, who stood by the arena entrance. I then heard Su growl as she pushed her way past her guards.

"Song, I should have known you'd turn on me some day. Even after everything I've done for you." Su spoke while staring down the snow leopard. Instead of backing down out of fear, Song got right back in her face and met her gaze with newfound courage.

"All you have done for me was control my life and make me follow orders. And if I didn't, you'd 'punish me.' That's the only reason they're following you." Song said pointing to Su's guards.

"Lies! I provide them with a home, food-"

"Cut the crap, you goddamn matriarch! You know everything you're saying is a lie. These girls-my girls only follow you because you'll do the most horrible things to them if they do not." Song took a step back after her outburst and turned to the other snow leopards, who at this point had lowered their weapons. Song approached them slowly and began to appease them.

"And that's the only reason, right? We were all too scared to do anything, so we just did what we were told." Song spoke softly. The snow leopards gazed at one another with sorrowful expressions. Song approached one who had her head lowered. She reached out and lifted it to meet her gaze. She smiled sweetly.

"But we don't have to be anymore. We can be strong, I know we can. If we stand together we can put a stop to this madness and make our lives better. So...will you join me girls? Will you help me make this right, for all of us?" Song asked as she joined my friends by their side. The girls started to silently gaze at one another without moving from their spot. Suddenly, one leopard stepped forward and joined Song by her side.

"You're just going to turn on me? After everything I've done for you?!" Su shouted. Soon, the rest of the girls gradually joined Song by her side. And even Tigress and myself did so as well, until it came down to Su, standing alone in the middle of the arena with everyone of us glaring at her. She stared at each one of her former followers with anger and disbelief.

"You...you" target="_blank"You...you ingrates! You will all suffer for this, believe me!" She yelled as her eyes turned to me. Once they locked with mine, she growled loudly. "You...you caused all this! I'll kill you!" She yelled while sprinting towards me in a blind fury with her parasol-sword raised above her head. Before she could even get near me, both Song and Tigress had landed a simultaneous punch square in Su's face, knocking her unconscious.

"Damn, that felt good." Song said while stroking her knuckle.

"It certainly did." Tigress agreed. And just like that, it was over. Su was disarmed and taken to the Valley barracks within a short amount of time. She just sat defeated behind a cell while the rest of us had just left her to pay for her crimes. Song had sent 'her girls' back to their camp while she stayed behind to clear a few things up. We all stood outside the guard barracks.

"Man, you lucky bastard. Stuck in that camp with all those girls. Why would you ever want to leave?" A certain someone asked. I bet you know who already.

"It wasn't all fun, Mantis. As you can see." I replied while pointing the claw marks on my cheek.

"Hey, I don't mind that kinky stuff." He said. I rolled my eyes and turned to Song.

"Thanks for showing up when you did, Song. Things certainly could have gone a lot worse." I noted.

"Of course, I just wanted to help." She said.

"So, I guess you'll be heading back to your camp now, right?" I asked.

"Soon, I'd like to...speak to someone." She replied while gesturing to certain panda. Po had his back turned with her arms crossed, hardly paying any notice to Song. During the trip down to the Valley, his behaviour was similar. Song had tried getting his attention, but he seemed to almost deny her existence. I guess she wanted a final chance to speak to him before leaving. I gave a nod before gazing over to my friends. I jerked my head slightly, indicating that they should leave to give Song and Po some private time. They understood my gesture and headed off, leaving Po, Song and myself alone. Song seemed a little nervous and reluctant to try and speak to Po, but I encouraged her to do so. She nodded before gripping her parasol and approached Po slowly.

"Hey...Po." She greeted. Silence answered, as Po refused to speak.

"Come on, buddy, at least give her a chance to explain herself." I spoke up. Po sighed and turned to Song with a saddened expression.

"Po, I...I want you to know, I never intended to hurt you any way." Song explained.

"But you did. I thought you might have liked me. Because I liked you! I really thought you needed help but all you were doing was helping Su steal from the Palace." Po spoke back with a slightly raised voice.

"You...do like me..." Song whispered in shock. Po lowered his arms to his sides and nodded.

"Yeah, I do. You're like the only girl who seemed to enjoy spending time with me. No girl has really liked me. They always thought I was kind've, ya know, dumb or boring, or...too fat." Po whispered upon his last few words. Aw man, poor guy. I didn't even know he tried to impress some woman in the past. And what he said about them thinking he was too fat, it just made me feel so sorry for him. How the hell could anyone say such things about him? I mean look at him! He's fricking adorable! I was about the step forward the console him, but Song beat me to it. Po had his head lowered while Song approached him. As she stood an inch apart from him, she slowly reached up with one paw and placed it on his cheek. She craned it in order to get him to look at her. She allowed a smile to spread across her face.

"I like you too, Po." Song said, eliciting a shocked expression from the panda. "And I want you to know I never wanted to steal from you. Su made me. It's been like that for so long. Throughout my whole life, I never could gather the courage. But you helped me gather it. Both of you. For that, I will always be grateful." A smile finally found its way onto Po's face.

"You're welcome. I guess I was helping his whole time, huh?" He asked. Song gave a nod. "Song, I...I forgive you." Song's smile deepened as she threw her arms around him in a flash. Po took no time to reciprocate to gesture. I watched in silence with a smile as they remained like this for some time before the hug was broke.

"Thank you, Po. Thank you." Song spoke with glee.

"Yeah, no problem. I just can't help but feel a little sad because you have to leave." Po said as his smile faded. Wait, he thinks his just gonna say goodbye like that? Ha, not a chance.

"What are you talking about? I thought you said you'd ask her out for a meal?" I questioned with a mischievous grin. Po's eyes widened and he gulped nervously. Song's eyes locked with Po while she smiled shyly.

"Y-yeah, I...I did." Po brought his paws together and shifted his eyes towards Song. "So, eh...Song, would you...like to have...dinner with me at my dads shop?"

"Well, I do believe I can spare a little more time before returning to my camp, so...I would love to. But before we go, may I have a final word with Ben?" Song asked. Po nodded as Song turned and approached me with a heartwarming smile.

"Ben, I don't even know where to began to thank you. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have stopped Su and I would still be her slave. For that, I will always be grateful." Song spoke as she embraced me. I chuckled and returned the gesture.

"No problem, Song. I'm always happy to help." I said, breaking the hug. Song then returned to Po's side.

"So, Po, shall we?" She asked holding out her paw. Po smiled locked his own around it.

"Of course. I'll see you later, Ben!" Po said as he rushed off with Song. I watched the two run off into the distance while I remained on the spot until they disappeared from view completely. Man, what a goddamn day. I guess now that everything's all cleared up...what do I do now? I guess I could just relax for a while. I believed I've earned a little rest, haven't I? I'm sort've thinking of relaxing by the peach tree. It's always peaceful up there. Yeah, sounds like a plan. I made my way through the streets and started to head towards the peach tree. Within a short amount of time, I had reached my destination. There was a little bit of wind blowing up here, but it felt good against my skin. I sat down onto the ground and shifted myself towards the trunk of the peach tree. I leaned against the tree and laid my legs in front of me, placing one over the other and resting my hands behind my head. I released a long sigh before shutting my eyes and smiling. I don't believe anything could interrupt this bit of tranquil.

"Hello, Ben." A voice spoke. I spoke too soon. My eyes shot back open and I peaked around the tree trunk. I smiled and watched her approach me.

"Hey, Ti, what's up?" I asked. She took a seat beside me and entered a lotus position.

"I just came to check up on you. You had us all worried throughout the entire morning." She replied.

"Ah, don't worry I was fine. It'll take more than a gang of women to stop me." I joked. She chuckled inwardly.

"I'm just relieved to see you're safe."

"Heh, thanks, I appreciate your concern." I said. Things fell silent as the two of us stared off into the distance. Tigress soon broke the short silence.

"So, is there a particular reason you came up here?" She asked.

"Nah, I just came here to get some peace and quiet for a while." I replied.

"I see. If that's the case, would you like me to leave you be?"

"No, no, it's alright, I don't mind if you stay. I always enjoy your company." I said. She smiled sweetly at my words.

"I enjoy your company too. It's just as well I should stay." I raised a brow in confusion.

"Why would that be?" I asked.

"To assure you honour your word." She explained. My word?

"I still don't know what you mean." Tigress turned her smile into a grin.

"I believe you and I had a wager. And if I'm correct, the bet consisted of the loser giving the victor a foot rub." She explained. Damn. Yeah, I remember now. Me and my big mouth. I grunted and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, fine. I lost, I can admit defeat. Alright, lets get this over with." I waited as Tigress straightened her legs and and kicked off her sandals. Once they were off, I grabbed her legs and laid them on me, grabbed one foot and started to massage it. Tigress sighed happily and leaned back against the tree truck beside me. At least one of us was enjoying this. Heh, I suppose I can admit the fur on her toes felt nice. I guess this wasn't as degrading as I thought it would be. If it made Tigress happy, maybe it wasn't so bad. I shut my eyes and continued to massage her foot while enjoying the moment.

"Ben?" Tigress whispered. I 'mmm'd?' in response. "Can you tell me what happened at Su's camp? You know, explain how you escaped?" My eyes shot back open and I ceased from the massage. I should have known this would come back up. I guess there's no point in hiding it.

"Jesus, where do I began."

(please leave a review!)


	58. Chapter 58

_Chapter 58: on the road again_

August had come to an end and the month of September had made an entrance. And what a better way to to began a new month than with celebration. In this particular instance, I'm referring to the Moon Festival. Or as it's formally know as: The Mid-Autumn Festival. According to my knowledge, it's a celebration that revolves around lunar worship or moon gazing. But it also includes the gathering of people, mainly friends and family. Considering I don't have a family anymore, it'll be just the gathering of friends for me. This year, it's been decided that we're gonna celebrate it at Vipers home village. I didn't mind where we would be celebrating it to be honest. It was my first time partaking in the celebration, so as long as I was with my friends, It didn't matter where I was celebrating it. And I suppose it'll finally give me a chance to meet Vipers family. I hear her talk about them all the time, it only seems fitting I should get to meet them. She apparently has two sisters; Y'ang, the second oldest. She is apparently married to another snake and lives somewhere close to her village. The other sisters name was Liu, the youngest. She was aspiring to become Yǒudú successor. She hopes one day to protect her village when her father passes away. Her mothers name was Ti'an Hua and judging by Vipers description of her, she almost sounded strikingly similar to my own mother. Her father, Yǒudú, sounded like someone you shouldn't mess with. After hearing about him the first thing that came to mind was Jet Li. The guy is a fricking legend around his town and could rearrange your spine into a staircase. I guess I should give a recap on what's happened for the past few weeks. Song had started to take charge of Su's camp and conformed the girls ways. They had turned from a life of crime and had gotten into honest work. Po and Song keep touch via letters. It seems the pair began to grow closer with each letter sent. Po had promised to visit her whenever he could and I knew he would keep his word. I do want them to keep seeing one another, they seemed so right for each other. Anyway, I guess I should back on track here. At the moment, everyone was preparing to leave the palace to head just outside Valley and travel to Vipers village using transport. I should mention we got up pretty fricking early for this. I mean REALLY early. Everyone started to drag themselves from the bunkhouse with tiredness coating us all. Well, all except one. A very happy serpent, who hummed a tone to herself while slithering ahead of everyone.

"How are you so cheery at this time of the morning?" Monkey asked as he rubbed his eyes. Viper turned and smiled.

"Oh come on, it's not that early." She said.

"The sun isn't even up!" Po complained as he pointed to the dark sky.

"Well, it's going to take all day to get to my village, so we had to get up early. Come on, guys, are you excited?!" Viper asked as she twirled. I jerked my thumb backwards.

"Yeah, just look at Mantis." I said. Everyone turned to see a snoozing bug on Monkey's shoulder. "Just beaming with glee."

"You can all join him once we're in the carriages outside the Valley. Now come on!" Viper ordered as she sped ahead. The rest of us groaned and attempted to catch up. We did eventually and she was waiting at the top of the steps palace steps with Shifu. It seems waking at an early hour hasn't affected him in the least. He stood with his staff and newly acquired green shawl he received from the the masters of Gongmen City. Ah damn, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Well, to make it brief, Master Shifu had been officially declared as the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace. He wore the title with pride and honour. As he watched us slowly dragged ourselves towards him, he released a smile.

"Good morning, students, are all prepared to leave?" He asked.

"Yes, master." We all replied.

"Excellent, then let us depart immediately. The carriages will be waiting for us just outside the Valley." Shifu said as he began to lead us all down towards the Valley. They streets were deserted probably due to the fact that its really early in the morning. I mentioned that already didn't I? Well forgive me, but I cannot help it. Never in my life have I ever woken up this early. I swear, it felt as if though my body would collapse any moment. Thankfully, we all made it to the carriages before it came to that. There was only two carriages and the carriages themselves were going to be pulled by a set of horses. Shifu had separated us into fours. He went into one carriage with Po, Monkey and Mantis while I entered the other with Tigress, Viper and Crane. And with that, we were off. Shortly after our departure, the sun was beginning to rise. I still felt pretty tired though, so I think I was catch some sleep while I could. Before I did however, my eyes locked with Crane, who seemed to be acting quite nervous. I noticed that he was the acting the same way this morning. I wonder what's up with him.

"Crane, what's up, buddy? You look a little anxious." I asked. The avian shook himself from his thoughts and turned to me.

"Huh-what? I-I'm fine, don't worry." He replied, stroking one wing with his other.

"Come on, sweetheart, if something's bothering you, you know you can tell us." Viper assured while wrapping her tail around his wing. Crane turned to his girlfriend and sighed.

"Alright...I...I'm just really nervous to see your parents again." He explained.

"Really? Why?" I asked.

"Because the last time I visited them I wasn't dating their daughter."

"I already told them about us in a letter a week after we got together. They said they're okay with it." Viper said.

"But what if they're just saying that? And what if they don't approve?" Viper couldn't help but chuckle as she kissed his beak.

"Don't be so dramatic, you big goof. I promise you they approve. Now stop worrying, okay?" Crane sighed and nodded.

"I'll try." He assured. Things felt silent and there's nothing the sound of the wheels on the carriage turning. And it was peaceful. I guess now would be the best time to nap. I folded my arms and leaned against the carriage.

"I'm going catch some shut eye. If I'm not awake when we get there, wake me up will you?" I requested.

"Of course, enjoy your nap." Viper said as she she gazed out the window. I shut my eyes and sighed, allowing myself to drift slowly off to sleep.

...

"B...en? Be...n." I heard a distant voice whisper. I groggily muttered incoherent words under my breath as while eyes began to open. A slender green figure came into view and once my eyes focused I realised it was just Viper.

"Mmm? Huh-wha? What?" I mumbled while rubbing my eyes.

"We're almost there, I thought I should wake you." Viper explained. I looked out the window and saw the sun shining brightly in sky with beautiful fields of grass beneath it. I looked ahead of me and saw Viper looking her head out the window while a snoozing avian was beside her. Crane had his head lowered and positioned his hat to cover his face. I turned to my left and found out that Tigress had also decided to catch some sleep. But it seems somewhere along the trip we must have hit a bump because her head was resting on my shoulder. I was wondering why I felt a little weight on my shoulder.

"You too look so cute together." I heard Viper whisper. I turned to her and released a quiet sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, very funny." I whispered back. Viper pulled her head back into the carriage and looked over Tigress to assure she was still sleeping.

"So...have you decided what you're gonna do? You know...about...?" I caught on to what she meant immediately. I sighed and turned back to Tigress. I smiled and reached over to stroke her head. A smile had appeared onto her face as she snuggled closer. Goddamn she was so cute.

"I don't know, Viper. I was thinking of asking her out to...you know, a date. But, I don't know whether or not if she's had enough time to process her feelings. Have talked to her ever since you asked her if she liked me?" I asked.

"I've tried talking to her a few times, but she always seems to give me to same response every time I ask for an update. She's say that she's unsure how to proceed with these feelings. She's never experienced them before so she's still trying to figure out what path to take." Viper replied. I sighed and frowned. Not exactly the most positive update I've ever gotten. What if she decides to turn away these feelings? Then I'll never get a chance to express how I feel about her. God, why does life have to be complicated? I was staring down at my hands throughout my little ray of sadness as I saw Viper wrap her tail around my right hand. I looked up to meet her gaze and saw her staring at me with her signature smile.

"Don't worry, Ben, everything always turns out the way it's suppose to. Maybe you need to do something in order for things to get moving." Viper suggested.

"Like what?" I questioned. Viper opened her mouth to speak but became silent as the sound of groaning emitted from the feline on my left. Viper just mouthed the words 'We'll talk later.' I nodded before turning my attention to Tigress. I chuckled inwardly as I nudged her gently with my arm. "Morning, Ti." I said. Tigress straightened up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning. Have we nearly arrived yet?" She asked with a yawn escaping her mouth.

"Yeah, we're very close, just another five minutes or so." Viper replied. She used her tail shake Crane. "Sweetheart, come on, time to get up." Crane snorted and moaned as he awoke from his slumber.

"He-wha? Huh? What's going on?" He asked while straightening his hat.

"We're almost at my village. Just a couple of more minutes." Viper explained. Apprehensiveness seemed return to Crane upon hearing the news.

"Oh, alright..." He muttered. Viper soon noticed his expression.

"Crane, please stop being so nervous. I promise you everything will be okay." Viper assured, holding onto his win tightly.

"I'll try not. I promise, Vipes." He smiled. Viper returned the gesture while she leaned up and kissed his beak. Her eyes soon widened as she shot her head out the window.

"We're here!" She shouted. The rest of us popped our heads out the window and began to admire the sight. We descended down a stone road into a beautiful town, beaming with life. The residents were frantically running about town, presumably preparing for the Moon Festival. Lanterns were beginning to be hung along with other decorations. I also noticed costumes were being moved about, mainly dragon ones. In the centre of town it seems a small stage was being set up. Perhaps some music would be playing? I certainly hope so, it would surely fill lighten the place up. Well I guess if anything was going to light this place it would be, putting it bluntly, a shitton of fireworks. I mean, sweet Jesus there was lot of them. Box after box after fireworks rested outside people's houses. I can see why people are rushing to get this thing ready for tomorrow. It's gonna be a night to remember, I just know it. We kept riding through the town until we stopped near a hill. I looked up and saw that the hill had a path that was constructed into a curve that led to a house at the top. The house was designed quite beautifully as it was complemented with a large tree standing beside with and bushes growing beside it. I'm going to assume this is Vipers home.

"Well, we're here." Viper announced. She released an excited squeal as she jumped out of the carriage. "Oh my, I'm so excited! I just can't wait to get up there." The rest of us followed Viper out of the carriage and started to stretch. I turned to the other carriage and saw the others exit.

"Next time we ride in a carriage together, please don't use me as a pillow, Po." Monkey said with annoyance. Po laughed as he noogied his head.

"Ah, come on, Monk, you'd make a great pillow." Po said.

"Look who's talking." Mantis joked. Shifu rubbed his temple as he approached us.

"I will never share a carriage with them again." I heard him mutter to himself. I laughed slightly before we all stood side by side facing Viper. She smiled with glee.

"Come on then everyone, lets go!" Viper ordered as she slithered quickly up the hill. The rest of us followed at a slower pace but we caught up with her soon enough. We stood outside the house and Viper was an inch away from the door. She took a deep breath. "Well, here we go." She said before knocking on the door. We all waited in silence for someone to come and answer and soon enough, someone did. The knob on the door turned and he swung open to reveal a snake. He was quite large for his species and had a very...distinct appearance. To begin with, it appeared as if though he had his fangs replaced with swords. I mean whoa! Those things looked like they could cut through concrete! Above his eyes there was large busy eyebrows that, quite frankly, would make Bogdan from Breaking Bad jealous. And he even had his own fu manchu moustache. I bet him and Shifu could go head in head to debate who's was better but I'm quite certain moi would win any contest revolving around the best facial hair. With such a familiar description, I could only guess that this was The Great Master Yǒudú. Upon seeing his daughter to two rushed to one another as he laughed.

"My little girl has retuned." He spoke while embracing his daughter.

"Father, I missed you so much." Viper whispered, tightening the embrace.

"I missed you too, it's so good to have with us again." He continued to chuckle before breaking the hug and approaching us. Shifu stepped forward and bowed.

"Yǒudú, it is good to see you again." He said. Yǒudú returned the gesture.

"You as well, old friend. I hope you and I will be able to reminisce later. Ah, it is good to see the rest of you as well." He said. Aside from Po and myself, the rest bowed respectively. The old snake then began to slither towards me and Po. He looked me over from head to toe and smiled. "If I recall Vipers description of you, I'm I correct in saying that you are Ben?" I nodded before bringing a fist to my palm and bowing.

"That's right. It's an honour to meet you, Master Yǒudú." I said. He laughed in response.

"Oh, come now, there's no need for the formalities. Any friend of Viper's, is a friend of mine." He said before turning to Po. "You must be the legendary Dragon Warrior." Po nodded. Yǒudú bowed in respect. "It's a honour to finally meet you, Dragon Warrior."

"Heh, uh, you can just call me Po." Po said.

"I'll do just that." Yǒudú said, turning his eyes past me. He smiled. "Crane, I'm especially happy to see you again." I gazed over my shoulder and only now I had just noticed he was attempting to hide himself behind us all. We all parted allowing Yǒudú to slip past and approach Crane. The avian himself was trying his hardest to remain calm, but he still displayed nervousness, most noticeably his legs were shaking slightly. The old snake began to slowly slither around Crane, maintaining a serious expression.

"Last time you and I spoke, you were not in a relationship with my daughter." Yǒudú said. Crane started to stroke his wing.

"I-I can explain." He stuttered.

"Explain? Oh, I don't believe there's any need for explaining. I understand very clearly what's happened. I was quite shocked upon hearing that you have started to see my daughter. I was unsure how I would react when seeing you again. But I have decided what I would say." Once Yǒudú finished his little speech, I was right in front of Crane, staring him in the eyes. There was absolute fear in Cranes eyes as he waited for the snake to act. Honestly, it looked like was readying himself to sink his fangs into Cranes neck. But within seconds, Yǒudú started to laugh while patting Cranes shoulder with his tail.

"Welcome to the family, Crane. You are most welcome addition. I always knew my daughter would pick someone good to be with. I'm glad it was you." He said. Crane looked as if though he say his whole life flash before his eyes for he was stiff as a board and almost seemed emotionless. It did however finally manage to pull himself from this state forced himself to smile.

"T-thank you. I'm glad to be part of your family." Crane said regaining his natural composure.

"Well, I suppose we shouldn't keep standing out here. Come inside, everyone else is waiting." Yǒudú said as he began to lead us all into his home, one by one.

(leave a review please! Thanks again, Cone for allowing me to use the names.)


	59. Chapter 59

_Chapter 59: meet the Vipers_

As we entered Viper's former home, I couldn't help but feel so relax, probably due to the homey setting and the sound of distant chatter. We headed down a hallway which was lit with hanging lanterns, illuminating the hallway, allowing me to admire some pictures that were framed on the walls. They were portraits of other snakes. I could only assume that these were members of the great Viper family throughout past generations. Once we reached the end of the hallway, there seemed to be three different paths to take. To the left, there was a very short set of steps that led into what looked like the kitchen. Ahead of us, it was another hallway which maybe led to the bedrooms of the house? And finally, to the right led into a large room that was occupied at this very moment. The rooms lighting seemed dimmer than the hallway, probably because it was lit by very few lanterns. At the back of the room, there stood a large...well, I would say chair, but frankly, it looked more like a throne. Not as massive as The Iron Throne, but big non the less. I guess it's safe to assume that the throne/chair belonged to Yǒudú. But most notable of course was the people who were inside the room itself. There was exactly four snakes. The one most noticeable was a big snake that was facing the other three. She had a remarkable resemblance to Viper, aside for the colour of her scales and the colour of the lotus flowers on her head. She wore a smile on her face that felt so welcoming. And I knew only a mother could wield such a smile, so I'm presuming that she's Viper's mom, Ti'an Hua. Ahead of her stood three other snakes, as I have mentioned, so I'll start from left to right. The first snake on the left was the smallest of them all. She bore similar colours on her scales as her mother and even came complete with her very own lotus flowers on her head. And my god, she looked so cute. She must be Vipers younger sister, Liu. The next snake also had similar scale patterns as the mother. Didn't take long to figure out that it was the second youngest sister, Y'ang. She too had lotus flowers on her head, marking herself very similar to her sisters and mother. But she had a distinction from the three. At the end of her tail, she seemed to have a ring secured on it. I wonder...oh that's right, she's married, how could I have forgotten. I suppose that was her husband beside her. Now he was much different from the rest of the snakes for he was a python. An intimidating looking fellow indeed. His scales were grey with black spots that were divided along his body. He was quite large too and he had fangs sharper than most snakes I've seen. He also had a ring secured around her tail, confirmation my suspicions that he was the husband. Honestly, I thought that all pythons had black scales. I guess I was wrong. Once our presence had been made aware, all four snakes had turned their attention towards us. Within a flash, laughter filled the air as Viper's mom and two sisters dashed to her side, enveloping themselves in a massive hug. Ourselves and the python just watched with smiles as the family had become one again after so long.

"Oh, my baby, I've missed you so much." Ti'an Hua spoke, almost shedding a tear as she did.

"I missed you too, big sis." Liu said tightening her grasp around the Viper.

"Yeah, it's felt like forever since we've seen you." Y'ang added.

"Ha, no kidding. I missed you all so much as well." Viper said as she break the massive hug. She turned and approached the python who leaned in and hugged Viper.

"It's great to see you again, Viper." He spoke with an British accent. The guys from England? Damn, he's a long way from home.

"You too. I believe some introductions are in order. You already know all them, so I'd like you to meet two new friends of mine. Ben and Po." Viper said gesturing for us both to come forward. We did so and she pointed to the python. "Guys, this is Y'angs husband, Micheal." I held out my hand to which he grab it with his tail and shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you, Micheal." I spoke with a smile I pulled my hand away and Po took his turn to shake hands...or paws...tails? Eh, you know what I mean.

"Pleasure to meet you too, mate, but just call me Mike, alright?" He said.

"Yeah, no problem." Viper then grabbed her mother and pulled her in front of us.

"This is my mother Ti'an Hua. Mom, this is Ben and Po." Viper spoke as I reached to shake her tail.

"It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, ma'am, I've heard so much about you and it's great to finally meet you." I spoke politely as I shook her tail.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ben. You are as nice and polite as Viper made you out to be. I am pleased to have you in my home. But please, call me Ti'an."

"Of course, Ti'an." I said before Viper dragged both her sisters in front of me while Po introduced himself to Ti'an.

"And finally, these are my two sisters, Y'ang and Liu." I reached for Y'angs tail and shook it gently.

"Nice to finally meet you, Y'ang."

"You too, I hope you and I can get to know each other better during your stay."

"Me too, I'm sure we'll be friends in no time." And finally, I turned to the last member of the family, Liu. She stared up at me with curiosity and wore the cutest expression I've ever seen. I lowered myself onto one knee and leaned forward. "So, you're Liu, huh? It's nice to meet you, little lady." Liu just stared at me silently before offering a response.

"You're odd looking." She said bluntly.

"Liu!" Viper and her mother scolded. I could do nothing but laugh at her words.

"Ah, it's alright, I guess you've never seen a human before, huh?" She shook her head.

"Nope, I've never heard of a human before. Do all humans look like you?" She asked. I shrugged at the question.

"Some do, but not all of them. Each human can be completely different to another." I replied.

"But are they all so tall? You're like a building!" Viper brought her tail to her forehead and shook her head, probably embarrassed by Liu's nature. I don't see why, I found her to be absolutely adorable.

"I hear that a lot sometimes. I guess it's a gift."

"Can I ride on shoulder?" She asked.

"Liu, please stop bothering him. I'm sorry about her, Ben, she can get a little excited." Ti'an apologised.

"Don't worry, she's not bothering me. I don't mind if rides on my shoulder." I turned back to Liu and placed my hand on the ground, opening my palm as I did. "Come on then, climb up." I instructed. She wasted no time as she quickly slithered up my arm and positioned herself on my shoulder.

"Look at me! Who's the tallest now, sisters?" Liu asked. Viper and Y'ang could only roll their eyes at their younger sister. I could only chuckle at Liu's nature and was joined by a few others in the room. I know one thing is for sure, I'm certainly taking a liking to this little snake.

"Well, we shouldn't all keep standing here, now that everyone's finally arrived , I can finally begin preparing dinner." Ti'an said as she began to slither towards the kitchen.

"Come everyone, let us all head to the kitchen." Yǒudú said before following his wife. The rest of us wasted no time to in following the couple. I have no doubt that the kitchen was soon going to be erupting with conversation among this little group of friends and family. The thought certainly brought a smile onto my face. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to bonding with Viper's family. As we stepped into the kitchen, I immediately started to take in what was within view. The kitchen was large indeed, much larger than our own back at the palace. In the centre of the room there was a large wooden table which appeared to be made of mahogany, which I found to be a very appealing shade of wood. Surrounding the table, there was a large number of chairs, fifteen to be exact. Damn, I guess this family often has visitors if it has that many chairs at the table. Or was more added during the preparations for our arrival? I suppose it doesn't matter. On the table there was a knife and fork set in front of each chair as well as empty glasses that sat beside the forks. In the centre of the table, two bottles of wine and a glass jug of water rested beside one another. I certainly could go for some wine with dinner. Each one of us took at seat while Ti'an began to prepare dinner for us all. And it would seem her daughters were going to help. So while the dinner was in progress, Yǒudú began to strike a conversation up amongst the group.

"So, Ben, Po, I have only heard about you two from the letters Viper has been sending us for the past few months. Perhaps you two can personally tell us about yourselves." He spoke while pouring himself a glass of wine. Once his glass was full, he began to pass the bottle along the table. I guess I don't mind sharing my life story over the table. I suppose it'll give Viper's family a better understanding of me, or at the very least inform them of something they didn't know about me yet.

"Sure, I don't mind." I said. I cleared my throat and began. "I suppose I can begin by talking about my life before arriving at the Jade Palace. Years ago, I used to live in a town with my mother, far from China. We didn't have a whole lot, but we always managed to scrap by. When I turned eighteen, I got my first job at a small restaurant. The place wasn't exactly worthy of five stars...or two stars for that matter. It was kind've unhygienic and the staff were almost incompetent. And my boss, god where do I begin with him. Small, fat and and processed a short fused. I got yelled at all day by him as well as putting up with customers complaining all the time, all for nothing but a low average pay."

"And you stayed there? Why didn't you quit?" Y'ang asked.

"I couldn't. I needed the money and no one else would hire me. It really took a toll on me. Everyday, I went to work tired and came back home even more tired. I swear the only thing that kept me going was mother. It was like she was the catalyst of my life." I continued.

"I assume you two still keep in touch." Yǒudú surmised. I allowed a sigh to escape my mouth as I frowned.

"I wish that were the case. She uh...she died a couple of years ago. And for a long time, I was all alone. I literally had no one."

"Aw, that's so sad, I'm sorry that happened to you." Liu consoled. I looked towards the small snake who was settled on the counter next to her mother and couldn't help but smile at the sweet face that stared back at me.

"Thanks. I appreciate that, Liu. I only wish I had someone like you to help me after my mothers funeral. God, never in my life had I ever felt so alone and so depressed." I spoke, my voice becoming silent as I neared the end of my sentence. Talking about my past always degraded my mood and I'm certain you understand why. But, I guess every cloud does have it's sliver lining. I smiled before continuing. "But after what felt like a hundred years of sadness had come to an end when I met these...wonderful people." I said gesturing towards my friends. Each one offering a smile of their own. "I just sort've...wandered into China at the beginning of this year and I guess faith brought me to them. I wasn't exactly too forthcoming with myself. I was a little shy and I kind've felt as if I didn't belong. But...these guys said otherwise. They made me feel welcome, they made me happy again, they...gave my life meaning...and for that, I'll always be grateful." I began gazing at each one I them one by one, until my eyes fell upon Tigress; the one I cherished the most. She just met my gaze and giving her most sweetest of smiles. The entire moment, however, was interrupted by Mantis, who at this point began to release a fake cry. I crossed my arms in annoyance while he wiped away a fake tear.

"Oh man, what you said about us was so emotional. You're like, you greatest man ever, Ben." He spoke sarcastically as he leaped onto my shoulder and hugged my head.

"And you, Mantis, will always be annoying. And that's why I love ya." I spoke with sincerity.

"Aw, I love you too, baby." He said, sneakily placing a quick kiss onto my cheek. Everyone at the table shared a laugh, including myself.

"I suppose that's enough about me. Your turn, Po." I said taking the bottle of wine that had been passed around during my story and had finally reached me. I began to fill my glass as Po began his story.

"Ok, where do I begin? Mmmm...I guess I can start with talking about my childhood. When I was a kid, my dad always made sure i had enough. Food, clothes and so on. He even saved up a months worth of his shops profits to send me to school. But by then, I started getting into Kung Fu. I mean, who wouldn't, right?! It's was awesome! So I kinda dazed off during school at times, so I didn't learn a whole lot." Mantis leaned closer to my ear.

"That would explain a lot." He whispered. In response, I flicked him off my shoulder, eliciting a yelp from him, before Po continued.

"But it didn't seem to bother my dad much. He said whatever made me happy, I should continue doing it. So, as the years went by, I started to learn more about Kung Fu. You know, like all the moves and all the masters, and so much more! All I wanted to be when I grew up was a Kung fu master. And my dream came true! Just...not how I expected. I sort've...dropped in at time the Dragon Warrior was being chosen and it turns out, I was the one chosen! Not everyone at the Jade Palace were too happy about it either."

"Indeed we may have initially felt disdain towards you at first," Shifu intervened, "but you certainly have proven yourself worthy of the title. You have become an excellent warrior and a welcome addition to the Jade Palace."

"Not to mention that you're a great friend." I added. He turned to me with a wide grin and I returned it with one of my own.

"And your cooking is awesome." Mantis contributed. Po's smile augmented as each one of his friends agreed that Po indeed was a wonderful addition to the Jade Palace.

"Thanks guys." Po said.

"Well, I certainly enjoyed hearing all about you two. You both seem like such nice people and more importantly, you both have shown to be very respectable. I can honestly say, I am glad to have you in our home." Yǒudú spoke with kindness. I don't believe there's any better way to make feel someone so welcome and accepted. I truly appreciated his kindness.

"Thank you, I'm very grateful for your hospitality." I spoke with a smile.

"Yeah, me too." Po said.

"Now that we've gotten all the life story's out of the way, we can now indulge ourselves in our evening meal. Dinner is served." Ti'an announced. Herself and her daughters began to pass plates around the table to us and each one of us thank them when the plate was laid in front of us. Tonight's meal consisted of mashed potatoes, a selection of vegetables such as peas and carrots and finally a bowl of vegetable soup. What words can I use to describe such a meal? Just one; yum. My mouth began to produce an avalanche of saliva, displaying my anticipation for consuming my dinner and my stomach started to grumble for food. I was defiantly gonna enjoy this. Before any one of us began our meal, Y'ang caught everyone's attention by tapping her empty glass.

"Could I have everyone's attention for a moment please." She announced. The room fell silent as all eyes turned towards her and Mike. "Thank you. As you know, Mike and I have been with each other for quite sometime and within that time, both of us have displayed our love for each other so many times. So...as of recently we've...been trying for a baby." A short period of silence ensured before the air filled with joy, mainly the cause of noise was Ti'an who was beaming with unquantifiable levels of glee. Her father and sisters too shared the level of excitement while the rest of us smiled and congratulate them both. Yǒudú hastily got his family to sit down as he raised his glass of wine into the air.

"I wish to propose a toast; to my daughter and son-in-law. May faith bring them good fortune when it comes to bringing another member into this family. And may we all be blessed with good fortune as well enjoy ourselves at the Moon Festival tomorrow night." He announced. The rest of us raised our glasses and chanted a 'here, here', before ingesting the wine, aside from Liu, Crane and Po who just drank water. From there, each one of us dwelled into a night of sharing stories, laughter and reminisces of our lives. Most of the conversation revolved the future. More specifically, we talked about what we were all planning for the future. I myself didn't really give any input of my own future for I felt it to be rather blurry. I didn't actually know what I was going to do in the future. But, I guess I have plenty of time to contemplate. To sum up how the night went, it was brilliant. I enjoyed every second I spent with these people. I can only hope we share more moments like this is the future. Anyway, after we all finished our dinner, it was time to call it a night. Ti'an began to organise sleeping arrangements. There was a number of different bedrooms, enough for us all. Well, what I mean is, there was enough rooms to at least give everyone a room to sleep in. We all had to at least bunk with someone else. And so with each room being occupied one by one, I finally entered my room for tonight and Po would be sharing it with me. As we both entered the room, the pair of us began to survey the room. It appeared to be a basic room and we were provided we what we needed such as a lantern and bed. But the bed...oh lord. Resting in front of us was what looked like the most comfortable bed in the world. Then again, any bed would be preferable than the ones provided to us at the Jade Palace. Because where they were single ones that were deprived of blankets or comfort, this one was a double bed that appeared to be one actually fit for people to sleep on. I kicked off my shoes and removed my socks as well as my vest and undershirt before I approached the bed.

"Aw man, this thing looks comfy." I said before jumping onto the bed and landing on my back. I sank slighting into the bed and released a sigh of relief. "And it's feels comfy."

"Really?" Po asked. I nodded in response while basking in the soft sheets embrace. Po kicked off his sandals and tossed them beside my shoes. "Push over, I wanna feel how comfy it is!" I obliged to his request and shifted over to one side of the bed. Then Po repeated my actions by jumping onto the bed. Uh oh. Within seconds, the impact Po made on his side of the bed caused my side to catapult me into the air. I came back down and slammed onto the ground next to the bed.

"Oh! Ben, I'm sorry! You okay?" I heard Po ask. Upon impact I opened my eyes to fall victim to momentary dizziness. I groaned before managing to pull myself from the ground.

"Jesus, Po, what the hell? Damn, I'm seeing stars." I spoke while attempting to regain my balance.

"I guess I wasn't thinking ahead there. Man, you went flying!" Po chuckled. I gave a little laugh of my own before laying down onto the bed.

"Yeah, real funny. Anyway, we should get some sleep. I expect we have quite a day ahead of us tomorrow." I said before yawning and slipping under the covers. Po did the same as he began to find a comfortable position before becoming still.

"No kidding. I'm really looking forward to it. Well, night, Ben." Po muttered.

"Night." I replied. I rested my head against the pillow and shut my eyes. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from tomorrow. I just hope I can enjoy myself. Aw well, better just get some-

. ** _SNORE_**.

...what the hell was that? I sat up on the bed and gazed over to Po. Was that him snoring? Sounded more like a goddamn tornado to me. I waited for a while to confirm whether or not this was continue, yet nothing but quiet breaths escaped his mouth. I guess it won't happen again. I laid back down onto the bed and shut my eyes. From there, I drifted off-

. ** _SNORE_**.

My eyes widened. Oh god no, please don't tell me this is gonna be-

. ** _SNORE_**.

Yup, it is. I grunted loudly as I took the pillow I was lying on and pressed it against my ear while using a second pillow beneath it. Hopefully this will muffle the sound at least.

. ** _SNORE_**.

Nope, not one bit. I can't sleep with that constant noise going. If someone snores, doesn't getting them to lie onto their side reduce the sound? I guess it's worth a try. I started to shake Po in an attempt to waken him.

"Po. Po! Wake up and roll onto your side." I whispered aloud. However, it seemed my voice didn't wake him. So I decided to be a little more forceful. I shook him with more force and raised my voice. "Po! Roll onto your side!" I ordered. Suddenly, Po grunted in his sleep and began doing as I asked. Just not as I expected. Instead of just rolling onto his side he rolled over completely towards me and I found myself being crushed by him!

"P-Po...g-get of-f!" I wheezed. Po merely smiled and he embraced me.

"I love you too, bean bun..." He muttered in his sleep. I started to shift myself in attempts to free myself from beneath the panda. After awkwardly squeezing myself from beneath Po, I landed onto the ground once more and began to catch my breath. Once I started to intake the air once more, I stood up and looked over the bed. Po was now slumped over it, occupying both sides of the bed, leaving me nowhere to sleep. Who I'm a kidding, I don't want to sleep here now anyway with all that noise he's making. Goddamn, now I gotta find somewhere else to sleep tonight. I thought to myself for moment and to ponder where I could rest. I guess...I could ask Tigress. After all, she managed to get a room all to herself, probably out of a stroke of luck. I'm sure she'll let me stay and if she doesn't, well I guess I'll think of something if it comes to that. I collected the clothing I removed before leaving the room. Once I closed the door behind me, I crept towards the room Tigress was resting in. As I arrived outside her door, I gently knocked, hoping that she wasn't asleep just yet. I waited for moment in silence before the sound of shuffling emitted from within. I heard silent footsteps head towards the door before it opened, revealing the occupant. Considering how dark it was, it would be rather difficult to see it was. But luckily for me, I immediately identified the figure as Tigress, due to her eyes, that glowed beautifully under the moonlight. Her eyes looked me over quickly before she spoke.

"Ben? What are on doing here? Is something wrong?" She asked in a hush tone. I shook my head.

"No, I'm fine...sort've. Sorry if I woke you up, I'm just having trouble getting to sleep." I replied, matching here tone.

"What sort of trouble?" She asked. She received her answer as the sound of snoring echoed throughout the hallway. "Ah, I see."

"Yeah, there's that and also he's taken up both sides of the bed, so I can't really sleep there tonight." I said falling silent. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly becoming a little nervous. "So, uh...with the predicament I'm in...I was wondering if I could spend the night here. I mean, if that's alright with you." Tigress stayed silent and thought for a moment.

"Um...of course. It's no trouble." I smiled at her words.

"Thanks, Ti, I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome. Come inside." She step aside and allowed me to enter before closing the door behind her. I looked around the room before setting the clothing I was carrying next to the door and beside Tigress's sandals. The room wasn't exactly worth describing for it was rather similar the one I was in a moment ago. I gazed over to the bed and saw that it too was a double bed. One side the covers seemed to have been lifted, which was most likely the side Tigress had chosen to sleep on, while the other remained unoccupied. Yeah...unoccupied, but for how long? Who I'm I kidding, I can't just barge in here and presume she'll allow me to share the bed. No, I'll just take the ground, it seems like the appropriate thing to do here.

"I see that you've already taken the bed, so I just take a pillow and sleep in the ground." I informed.

"What do you mean? There's room for two on the bed." Tigress noted.

"Yeah, I know...it's just that, um, I don't really want to...make things uncomfortable between us." I said.

"Nonsense, you and I friends. We've shared a room before and not to mention we've had to compromise that one time in the mountains when we were setting out to find my parents." Indeed I remember that time, hell, I how could I not? The pair of us freezing and forced to huddle together for the night to stay warm. I guess she has a point.

"I guess your right. I suppose we've come to a stage where neither one of us feel discomfort around one another in any situation." Tigress nodded in agreement.

"I certainly agree." I smiled.

"Thanks, Ti, I appreciate this." I said before heading over to the unoccupied side of the bed and climbed in with Tigress doing the same. The pair of us, threw the covers over ourselves and rested our heads on our pillows.

"Well, goodnight, Ben." Tigress whispered before turning over with her back facing me.

"Night, Ti." I said but kept my eyes open and stared up at the ceiling. I guess I should be heading off the sleep right now, but I cannot help but linger in thought. My thoughts soon transformed into words. "Hey, Ti?" I whispered. She 'mmmm'd?' In response. "Can I ask you something?" She shuffled over and faced me.

"Sure, ask away." She said, giving me her full attention. I turned on my side and rest my head on my head.

"At dinner, when everyone was talking about what they had planned for their future, you didn't offer anything, whys that?" I asked. My question certainly seemed to come as a surprise, for she was silent for a long time. Eventually though, she sighed before she turned over and stared up at the ceiling.

"I didn't offer any words because...I am uncertain as to what I have planned for the future. I spend so much time focused on the present, I am unable to determine what the future has in store for me." She replied.

"Really? You don't have any idea at all?" I questioned.

"I suppose there have been various thoughts on what I might do, but all I can come up with is the idea of spending the rest of my life being a warrior at the Jade Palace. After all, I don't believe there is any other options available."

"Oh, come on, I bet there's plenty of things you can do." She turned her gaze towards me.

"Such as?" I shrugged.

"Well, for starters, you're an excellent Kung Fu master. Perhaps you could teach Kung Fu to a new generation of fighters. Maybe become a permanent instructor for those who are willing to learn."

"I suppose that is an option. But I'm searching for something a little more than that."

"How about set a goal to become the grand master of the Jade Palace. I believe you would be capable of doing so. After all, you've been at the Jade Palace longer than any of us, so you would be a perfect successor to Shifu ."

"Mmm...I'm not sure I could see myself in my father position. It would require such knowledge and wisdom I don't believe I could ever comprehend. I'm certain I wouldn't ever amount to his level." Damn, two propositions and she's shot them down. I figured she be a little more optimistic about my suggestions. Well...there was only one more idea I could offer.

"Have you considered...the idea of having a family?" I proposed. Unlike the first two suggestions, where she offered an immediate response, this suggestion caused her to really ponder about the question.

"A...family?" She questioned in confusion.

"Yeah, you know, meet someone nice, fall in love and raise a family together."

"I cannot tell if you're being serious or not."

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

"You are aware of who you're speaking, yes? It's me we're talking about."

"What...what do mean?" She sighed and sat up on the bed.

"You've known more for almost a year, I'm certain you are aware of my nature. Before I met you, I wasn't one for friendship. I did, however, make an exception for our friends. They were my only friends for years, yet I hardly felt close to them. But, ever since you arrived, I've managed to branch out and become a better person. With that said...the idea of... falling in love and raising a family is something completely unfamiliar to me. I don't believe I could ever find myself indulging in such a life. After all...how could I? I'm not...like any other person. I was raised to be a fighter, so the concept of family or love seem like something no could never have."

"What are you talking about? You could still be a Kung Fu warrior and find love. I mean, take Viper for instance, she's a fighter just like you and she found love."

"But I cannot. Who I am is what distances that life from me. I'm not like Viper. Indeed she too was raised in a life of a warrior and has found love. But I believe the reason being is because of who she is. She's caring, sweet, loved and adored. I could never possess the qualities she had. I spent a majority of my life with people fearing me, so how in anyway could they love me? I'm...incapable of affection..." She spoke with her tone turning the sadness upon her final words. Geez...she's been hard on herself before but this...this made me laugh. Yeah, I was chuckling inwardly, much to Tigress's confusion. "What is so amusing?"

"I just can't help but laugh about how stupid you are." I said bluntly. As expected, she took offensive.

"Excuse me?" I sat up on the bed and faced her.

"I've lost count on how times I've told you how great a person you are and yet, you still doubt yourself so much." I silenced myself for moment before placing my hand over her paw. "Tigress, you're a wonderful woman who's has an incredible personality and an beautiful appearance. Any man wouldn't be just lucky to have you, they would be blessed. I know that for a fact. So don't you ever say you are incapable of affection." Once I finished speaking, I pulled her into an embrace. She took some time before placing her arms around me, but when she did, she held on to me tightly. I'm actually quite surprised at myself. I just realised what I said. Saying that any man would be lucky to have her and I even mentioned that she was...beautiful. I...I guess I really meant it too. We both pulled from the embrace and Tigress offered a sweet smile.

"Do you truly think of me like that?" She asked.

"Of course I do. You're a special kind of gal, Ti." I replied.

"Thank you, Ben. Your words truly mean a great deal to me. I promise to repay you in some way." I shook my head dismissively.

"You don't have to do anything for me, Ti. Your friendship enough for me." I assured. Tigress could only continue to smile while shaking her head slightly.

"You always were selfless. It must be that big heart of yours. That was always a quality I admired about you. I wish there were more people like you." Tigress's smile faded and her expression turned serious. "Ben, will you make me a promise?" I nodded in response.

"Of course, Ti, anything." She leaned closer towards me.

"No matter what hardships we face...no matter how much pain we suffer...and no matter how horrible things get...promise me you'll never change. Even if it seems like all hope is lost in our darkest days, please don't ever forget who you are. Plenty of people lose sight of who they are when everything turns dark. I just want you to return to the light the same man we all know and care for." She stared me directly in the eyes, maintaining a serious expression. "Will you promise me that?" I kept silent as I stared back into her glowing orange orbs that awaited a response. And I was ready to answer. I smiled before I reached down and held her paws tightly. Then, instinctively, I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against hers. She immediately pushed her head against my own before I closed my eyes.

" _I promise_..." I whispered. After hearing my response, she pulled away and returned to staring back into my eyes.

"Thank you..." She whispered back. I released her paws as we both laid back down onto the bed.

"Goodnight, Ti."

"Goodnight, Ben." And just like that...silence filled the air. I shut my eyes and buried my head into my pillow. That was...um...a pretty intense moment. I don't believe neither of us had a conversation that left such an impact. And that last moment where I pressed my head against hers...it felt magical. I could feel my heart race and my cheeks flaring at that moment. I just held Ti's...my _crushes_ paws and made her a promise I most certainly intend to keep. But the most notable thing was...how I felt during that moment. The feeling was so powerful and odd I couldn't begin to describe it. Was it that the feelings I possessed for her becoming more powerful? Could it...could it be...no, no, I really should try to keep my thoughts under control here. I can't just throw assumptions around with some evidence. I'm certainly not gonna try sorting out my thoughts now, I really should get some sleep. I freed my mind from thought and slowly drifted off to sleep.

(Goddamn that took some time to type, that was my longest chapter ever! I'm sure it was worth it though. That Mike fellow was an alright guy. Although he seems so familiar...meh, probably nothing. Anyway, I really hope you guys liked this chapter! Don't forget to review!)


	60. Chapter 60

_Chapter 60: family talk_

I was awoken from my slumber rather unconventionally this morning. Instead of awakening by my own accord, I was awoken by someone shaking me. I mumbled to myself as my eyes slowly opened and began to focus along with my other senses.

"Ben, it's time wake up." I heard a voice echo through my mind. Once again, I mumbled in response while my eyes focused on an orange blur that was next to me. As soon as the figure become more transparent, I soon discovered it was just Tigress. She was sitting on my side of the bed and had a paw placed on my arm. When she saw my eyes lock with hers, she smiled while removing her paw from my arm and rested it on her lap beside her other one.

"Ti? Damn, you're certainly a sight to wake up to." I said as I sat up and stretched which was shortly followed by a large yawn. She chuckled inwardly.

"I'll take that as a compliment. How are you this morning?" She asked. I started to rubbed my eyes before I offered a response.

"Good. Well, better than usual to be honest. I don't believe I've ever had such a good nights rest." I replied.

"I agree. This bed provided exceptional comfort."

"Well I'm glad they did. Anyway, any reason why you're waking me up?" I enquired.

"Ti'an has informed us that she's going to prepare breakfast for us all. That was about five minutes ago. Everyone else is too awaking and readying to leave their rooms. I figured I should wake you up so you do not miss breakfast." She explained.

"I see. Well thanks, Ti, I appreciate it." I said with a smile.

"Of course, it was it no trouble. Come, let us head tothe kitchen." She said as she began to stand up. Before she could, I placed my hand on her shoulder and sat her back down.

"Wait...Ti?" She turned her attention back to me with a look of confusion.

"Yes?" I sighed before I began to explain why I stopped her from leaving.

"Look...about last night. I just want you to know that...I appreciate you sharing all that with me. I realise it must've been difficult to talk about, so...thanks for telling me. And I hope I helped." Tigress smiled as she reached up to my hand that rested on her shoulder and held it tightly.

"You did help, immensely. I'm extremely grateful I have someone like you to share my personal problems with."

"Always. Come on, lets go get some breakfast." Tigress nodded before she stood up and headed towards the door. She picked up my vest and undershirt and threw them to me. I gave a quick 'thanks' before I put hem both on as well as my shoes. The two of us then proceeded to exit the bedroom. As soon as we stepped into the hallway, we were soon joined by everyone else except Ti'an, Yǒudú, their daughters, Mike and Shifu. The air filled with the sound of yawns and groaning.

"Morning, guys." I spoke up catching everyone's attention.

"Morning." They all chanted back.

"Hey, weren't you bunking with Po?" Crane questioned. I nodded.

"I was, but that was until the snoring began." I replied. All eyes set upon the panda, who stood with an embarrassed expression.

"Sorry about that, Ben. I guess I can't really help it." Po said.

"I figured that out that on my own. Luckily, Ti was kind enough to accommodate me for the night." I said

"You sure you weren't just using Po's snoring as an excuse to get into-"

"Mantis, if you dare continue your sentence, I'll eviscerate with a spoon. Understand?" I threatened, well aware of what the little shit was planning to say.

"Mouth, shut, got it." He said, immediately silencing himself. I swear that guy was born with a filthy mind. Tigress told me what he said about my absence in the morning when I was kidnapped by Su. Apparently they all thought I was still sleeping and Mantis...had to go ahead and say something extremely inappropriate. I believe it was on the lines of 'Damn, you weren't that rough on him last night, were you?' The cheeky little...I mean, seriously, there's boundaries revolving around these things. The idea he would joke about the fact that Ti and I...good lord I can't even think about it without my cheeks flaring up! I would never think of her in such an...way. Granted, I have grown a particular fondness towards her appearance. I didn't feel anything about it before but now I do indeed...find her attractive. But I wouldn't think of her in an inappropriate way! I just...you" target="_blank"just...you know...ah screw this, I'm just gonna focus on something else now. Anyway, during my little array of thoughts, we were all heading towards the kitchen. Once we were inside the kitchen, each one of our nostrils became filled with the beautiful scent of breakfast. And, once again, our meals were being prepared by Ti'an and her daughters. Judging by last nights wonderful meal, I can only imagine we're in for a treat. It didn't take long for our presence to be known, and when it was, we were all greeted with heartwarming smiles.

"Well, a good morning to you all." Ti'an spoke up, offering the most heartwarming smile out of everyone in the room. We all joined Yǒudú, Mike and Shifu by the table.

"Morning to you too, Ti'an." I said.

"Whatever it is you all are cooking, it smells pretty good." Mantis spoke while inhaling deeply through his nose. I couldn't help but agree with him. The sweet smell of porridge and pancakes teased my nostrils, causing my mouth to produce the double amount of saliva. In other words; it smelt gorgeous.

"Well, I certainly hope it will fill you all up. After all, there's a big day ahead of us all." Ti'an spoke as she had finished preparing breakfast with her daughters.

"Indeed. And I shall be leaving shortly after breakfast to oversee how well the town has prepared for the festival." Yǒudú Informed us.

"I hope we have one just as wonderful last year." Mike said. The old serpent smile and chuckled inwardly.

"The town hasn't disappointed us since it began to partake in the celebration. It always manages to impress." He spoke with certainty. Ti'an and her daughters had arrived at our table, handing out breakfast to each one of us. And each one of us thanked them for their kindness. From there, the conversation just steered around the festival while we ate breakfast. Nothing really worth mentioning to be honest. Except for what everyone had planned to do. Monkey, Mantis and Po were planning to hang out somewhere or other, presumably Mantis would try to whoo some women with Monkey, and I'd imagine Mantis will not succeed. Mike and Y'ang had planned to just wander around for a bit and I believe they mentioned something about dancing. Liu had planned to spend the night wandering around the town with her mother. Viper and Crane were going to stick with one another around town and partake in some games as well as dance later with Mike and Y'ang. Finally, Shifu was going to accompany Yǒudú and reminisce about...well, past events I suppose. It seemed everyone was planning to do something. Well, everyone except Tigress and myself. The pair of us were undecided as to what we were going to do, but I'm certain we'll find something to do. Anyway, once we all finished our breakfast, everyone began to hang around the house doing what not while Ti'an started to clean the dishes. As I sign of appreciation for the meal, I decided to help out. Ti'an was certainly grateful.

"Thank you for helping me, Ben. It was very nice of you." Ti'an said as she washed the dishes while I dried them with a cloth and stacked them in a cupboard above a counter.

"No problem. It's a way to thank you for a wonderful meal." I spoke with a smile.

"Oh, you are too kind. I only wish to ensure everyone is kept fed. It's what a mother does."

"No kidding. It must have been hell keeping three kids fed everyday for years." I noted while taking a plate off her to dry.

"Initially, I believed so. But...Yǒudú certainly did everything who could to help out. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without that man." She sighed happily with a grin.

"I bet he had no trouble getting you to fall in love with him. He must've have swept you off your...uh tail when you met." I said. Ti'an ceased from cleaning the next dish as she turned to me.

"Actually no, believe it or not. He was quite shy upon our first meeting." I leaned against the counter with a rather surprised expression.

"Really? Given his reputation, I figured who would be able to face anything."

"One would think that yes, but it seemed communicating with women was not something he was accustomed to. He would struggle to gather the words just to greet me. I found it rather cute."

"I assume he tried his hardest to impress you."

"Indeed he did. He asked me to spend time with me whenever he gathered the courage to do so. He would always bring flowers and say I looked beautiful and yet, he always seemed to nervous. So one day, him and I laid outside his home and watched the stars together. But, I enquired why he was always so nervous around me. He sighed and wrapped his tail around mine. He confessed that I was the only girl who took interest in him and he didn't wish to ruin the bond between us. He believed that if he stopped spending time with me, or stopped calling me beautiful, or give me flowers that I would stop taking an interest in him. And as I babbled on, I silenced him with a kiss. I told him that I liked him for him and that...I loved him. I suppose after hearing those words he gather a newfound courage for he kissed me in return and said 'I love you too'. Since then, him and I have always been together, our love binding us and shielding us though dark times." I smiled after hearing her story. It was rather sweet to hear. I suppose hearing the story about how two people got to together would make anyone smile.

"And now you two have a wonderful daughters who have bright futures."

"Family certainly plays an important roll in everyone's life." I nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. But my time with family died when my mother departed from this world. Now it's just me. But, I guess it's not all bad, I still have my friends by my side." I spoke while crossing my arms. As I turned back to Ti'an, she was looking at me rather oddly. As if what I said confused her in some way.

"What do you mean your time with family died? You've come to our home with your family!" She chuckled. I raised a brow, taking my turn to become confused. Was she referring to the guys? She called them...my family? I shook my head.

"They're not my family. I mean, yeah, we're all close but we couldn't be a family. None of us are related." I pointed out. I may have seemed cold saying that, but it was true. How could we be a family if none of us are related in any way?

"Is that what you truly believe?" She asked. I nodded in response. She leaned closer to me before continuing. "You don't have to be related to call someone family. A family consists of people who care greatly for one another and have built strong bonds over a period of time. It also means...never having to say goodbye for good and always being there for one another." Admittedly...that was certainly similar to what I had with the guys. Our relationships we had with one another was strong and built on trust and...well, not wanting to sound sappy or anything...love I guess. I did cared deeply for each one of them...but I just don't believe we could be considered a family. I unfolded my arms and rested on hand on the counter near me.

"Yeah, okay we all care for one another greatly but we just can't really be considered family. There's just still the factor of relations. And none of us are related in any way or even, most importantly, by blood." Ti'an shook her head with a smile as she placed her tail over my hand.

"It shouldn't always be the blood in our veins that dictate who our family is. Like I said, family can be those we hold close, like friends. And friends...are the family we choose for ourselves." I remained silent as her words sank into my mind. _Friends are the_ _family...we_ _choose for ourselves._ Maybe...maybe that is true. After all, friends are indeed people you love and would protect with your life...just like a family member. But what I believed in, that being only family can consist of those who are related in blood, was something I thought was fact. Maybe...I'm wrong, I don't know. I can't really form a new opinion on this subject just now, I need some time to think about it.

"Ti'an, um...thanks for laying all this on me. I'll...certainly think about what you said." I promised. She patted my hand before pulling her tail away.

"I really hope you do. A wonderful person like you deserves to have people he can call family." I smiled at her words.

"Thanks. Now, we should finish cleaning these dishes." I suggested. Ti'an nodded in agreement as we continued the cleansing of kitchen plates. Once it was finished, I took my leave and wandered out of he kitchen. Our talk certainly left an impact. When she said that my friends are my...my family, it really has gotten me thinking. But I think I'll save that train of thought for another time for I had already had some business to take care of. That being a discussion with Viper that revolves around Viper which you'll soon discover about what. After wandering around the house looking for said serpent, I soon found her inside her room. She seemed to be looking at some old things, probably stuff she had as a child. It would also seem she was alone. I tapped lightly on her door immediately catching her attention. She smiled at my presence which caused me to give my own.

"Ben, good to see you, do you need something?" She asked. I entered her room and sat on her bed, shortly being joined by her.

"Yeah, I do actually. It's about what we were talking about yesterday in the carriage, remember?" I asked allowing her to determine as to what I was referring to. It didn't take long for her to find out what.

"Ah, you mean about Tigress, right?" I nodded.

"Yeah, we were taking about what I should do to get things moving, but she woke up before you could share with me as to what course of action I should take" I reminded.

"Indeed I did, well, you were saying to me that you had planned on asking her out on a date but were uncertain if she had processed her feelings for you, correct?" She questioned to which I nodded in response. "Well, I was thinking that maybe you should ask her to spend the night at festival with you. It wouldn't have to be considered a date, just two friends enjoying the night together. And the whole time, you'll both be bonding on a new level which might kick things off between you." I ran my fingers through my beard in thought. It would defiantly be a subtle approach to start things up between us. And who knows, maybe if we have a good time...I can be honest with her and express my feelings for her. I nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Alright, I guess I should go ask her now. Best get it out of the way before I lose the nerve to do it later." I suggested. Viper nodded in agreement as I stood up.

"She's meditating in the room you two slept in last night." She informed me.

"Thanks, Vipe, I really appreciate your help in all this." She smiled.

"It's no trouble. You know all always be here to help you." I left her room and stood in the hallway.

"Alright...here it goes..." I muttered aloud as I headed down the hall towards the room Tigress was in. I swallowed nervously and turned back towards Viper's room. I saw the very serpent standing by her door, gesturing me to go for it. I nodded and quietly opened the door, immediately introduced to the sight of Tigress sitting on the floor, meditating. I suppose she heard me open the door because her eyes opened and laid themselves on me. She smiled at my presence.

"Ben, it's nice to see you." She greeted, with her usual sweet voice. I leaned against the door and smirk.

"You too, Ti. God, do you do anything beside meditate?" I asked.

"Well, I occasionally enjoy a match or two of checkers with a close friend, who, might I add, hasn't beaten once to this day." She smirked. I indeed haven't won a single match against her...yet. Come to think of it, I don't believe I've mentioned games of checkers I've had with Tigress's over the last few months. Probably because the idea of me describing my defeat again and again might be redundant. But I swear, when I beat her someday, I will inform you all.

"Yeah, very funny. But I assure you, I'll be laughing when I kick your ass in one game in the future." I vowed. Tigress chuckled inwardly.

"Anyway, since you are here, do you wish to join me in meditation?" She asked. I shook my head,

"Actually, I here for another reason." I replied, soon allowing my nerves to get the best of me. I soon found myself falling under a lot of nervousness. I scratched the back of my head and struggled to gather the correct words to use. "I-I was just wondering, you know if... I just thought that because neither one of us have any plans for tonight that...would you, um, would you like to spend the night at the festival...with me?" I asked stumbling over every word. I swear, it felt like my heart was threatening to burst from my chest due to the speed of which it was beating. Why did I have to act so fricking nervous?! I just stood there with a stupid grin awaiting a response from a surprised looking feline.

"Spend the night with you? Are you referring to...a date?" She questioned. I swallowed hard and began to twiddle my thumbs.

"No...well, not really, I just...you know...want to spend time you." I spoke, almost mumbling as I did.

"I...well...okay, I would...like that." Tigress finally replied after a short awkward silence. I felt a wave of relief come over me.

"Alright, so I guess I'll...come and get you once the sun sets, okay?" She nodded.

"Understood, I'll just...mediate for the time being." She informed. I gave a nod.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later, Ti." I said as I stepped out of the room.

"Of course. Goodbye, for now." She spoke as I headed down the hallway. Okay...that could have gone a little better. But I guess it could have gone worse too. Either way, at least I managed to ask her out. Good god I hope I don't screw up tonight.

(sorry for another late update. I gotta lot of stuff going on, especially when preparing for the holidays. Hopefully I will be able to get another chapter up either sometime this week or next, depending on if somerhing comes up. Anyhoo, thanks for your continuous support and don't forget to review!)


	61. Chapter 61

_Chapter 61: date/not date part 1_

So throughout the morning, I just searched for ways to pass the time for the sun set and the festival to begin. I did whatever I could to help make time go faster until the sun had set over the horizon and the Moon Festival had finally began. With that said, I began to feel a little anxious due to the fact that I had asked Tigress to hang out with me at the festival. So I'll have to find ways pass the time with her on our...date/not date. Honestly, I'm unsure what I can refer it to. Lets just call it our night out. So on our night out, I had pondered various ways I can help keep the pair of us occupied so that we may enjoy ourselves. Viper had suggested we join her and Crane at some vendors that had various games for people to partake in as well as vendors that sold various goodies such as sweets or chocolates. So I guess there's gonna be plenty to do there. After they've planned to partake in numerous games, Viper had also proposed the idea of tagging along with them to the stage set up in the middle of the town which would be playing music. Viper said that's were Mike and Y'ang would be, dancing with one other and Viper and planned to join them with Crane. Although I was certain Tigress wouldn't wish to dance with me, it would be nice to hear the music up close. And I guess if all goes well and Tigress has had a wonderful night maybe...I can take her someplace quiet with me and tell her how I feel about her. After all, I'm gonna have to tell her sometime or another how I truly feel about her, why not tonight? That's if all goes well. I'm still nervous as to how this night will go and I pray I don't screw this up. This'll either be a wonderful night spent with my crush or an awkward, uncomfortable night that will screw everything up between us. No pressure then. Well...here goes nothing. I made my way to Tigress's room and stopped outside, attempting to remain in a clam state. Once I resided in a cool and collective state, I gently knocked on the bedroom door and awaited for a response. I listened quietly and heard her approach the door before it opened, revealing the feline herself. I offered a wide smile and was given one in return.

"Hey, Ti. I, um...I've come to...you know get you." I spoke with my nerves betraying me once more. Believe when I say that I was trying my hardest to alleviate my nervous state in any way possible, but my nerves were really just screwing with me. Ti brought her paws behind her back and nodded.

"As you said you would. I've just been...waiting for you. Now that you've arrived shall we...shall we depart?" She suggested, almost seemingly speaking with a nervous tone herself, although hers was certainly covered up better.

"Yeah, of course, lets go." I said while stepping aside and allowed her to leave the room. We walked alongside one another in silence as we exited the house and began to descend down to the town. I really didn't want the two of us to stay quiet the hold time, so I gather what I ever courage I could and decided to break the awkward silence.

"Look, Ti, I'm...sorry for being so awkward. I'm just feeling a little nervous about spending time with you. I...I just don't want to ruin what could be a great night." I explained, being honest in hopes she understands. It seemed she did as she smiled.

"I understand. I too am having a difficult time trying to reside in collective state." She spoke with honesty too.

"Which is weird, right? We've hung around the palace with each other all the time and neither of us feel nervous. I guess...it's just going out together...like this is what's causing us to feel nervous."

"Perhaps. I believe we had a similar experience when we went to Luc's Cuisine on Valentines day, if you recall." She reminded.

"Yeah, I do remember. Even then I felt nervous to ask you out for a meal."

"And yet, you and I had a wonderful time. It was also I day I personally...enjoyed greatly." I grinned to myself, feeling a almost triumphant emotion within me after her say that.

"We did have a good time, didn't we?" I asked. She nodded in response. "I guess we can just act like how we did that day. So I say we give a massive middle finger to our emotions that are trying to build any discomfort between us and have a damn good night together."

"Agreed. So with that said, may I ask what you have planned for tonight?" She questioned.

"Well, to begin with I was hoping you and I could join Viper and Crane by some kiosks who have set up some games. Then we can grab something to eat by a sweet kiosk with the two of them. Then, all four of us can head to the centre of town to watch some dancing and listen to the music." I replied.

"It certainly sounds like we're going to enjoy ourselves." To noted.

"Yeah, there's just one problem. I, eh, I have no idea where we're going. Viper said the kiosks are by the general store but I have no idea where it is." I spoke with slight embarrassment. Tigress chuckled inwardly in response.

"There's no need to worry. I've visited this village with Viper enough times to know my way around." Ti assured.

"Oh, so...I guess you'll lead the way instead of me?"

"Either that, or I could watch you get lost in the town. It might be amusing." She jested.

"I think I'll take the first option." She smiled and nodded.

"Of course, let's go." She said leading the way as I followed. That certainly was a bit of a dumb thing on my part. I probably should have mentioned to her earlier that I didn't know my way around to save myself from that moment of slight embarrassment. Anyway, as the pair of us descended down the hill towards the town, the sound of music and people filled the air. When we drew closer, the sounds augmented until it was all we could hear. The town was brim with people running around, talking and laughing. It was more specifically children running around that adults. They seemed to be holding rice figurines in their grasp was they wore papier-mâché masks. All of which were designed to take the shape of other animals. Soon, the streets were being paraded on by people in dragon costumes and bystanders cheering and singing. In short...this place felt so alive. The entire time, a massive smile was plastered on my face, which was soon noticed by Ti.

"Well, you certainly seem to be enjoying the sights." She noted. I turned to her with a light chuckle.

"I sure am. I mean, look at all this! It's amazing!" I spoke with my arms out, gesturing to...well, everything!

"Traditional celebrations always appear to bring out the best in people." Tigress said as the pair of us dwelled through the streets.

"No kidding, I can certainly get use to this."

"Well, there's plenty more to see and do. Speaking of which, we're getting close to where Viper said she was." Tigress noted. We picked up the pace a little until the pair of us came across a part of town consisting of nothing but kiosks. Probably suggesting it was some sort of market place. There was a lot of inventory to be seen, so far nothing worth buying or mentioning. Ti and I just kept strolling through the marketplace and barely managing to squeeze past other people. Eventually, we arrived to a part of the marketplace which had kiosks that had games to partake in. We searched around the place for Viper and Crane but they were nowhere in sight. We did, however, see two others we knew. Ti'an and Liu. The two seemed to be at a kiosk being run by buffalo. Unlike other other kiosks with games, this one had a bit of a aberrant addition. A fair bit of distance away way from his kiosk, rested a large wooden water tank. I also noticed a pig who sat on a platform which hovered above the tank. The platform he sat on appeared to be hooked up to a small wooden target with white and red rings on it. I suppose you can guess what exactly this whole scene will bring. Obviously the goal here was to strike the target and make the pig drop into the tank. Certainly seems like it could be fun to play. At the moment, Liu was playing it. It seems you begin with three balls to throw for Liu and just stepped up with them to a wooden plank that rested on the ground. I assume the wooden plank acted as a border for those playing to stand behind and try to hit the target. As Ti and I began to approach the kiosk, Liu had already throw one ball with haste and missed. Then she threw the other, resulting in another miss.

"Ah, darn it!" Liu spoke in annoyance.

"You must take your time, sweetheart, otherwise you'll keep missing." Ti'an advised.

"You should take her advise, I bet it'll work." I spoke up catching the two snakes attention.

"Ben, Tigress. It's good to see you two." Ti'an said with a gentle tone.

"You as well, Ti'an. I trust you two are enjoying yourselves?" Tigress questioned.

"We are indeed. The town has certainly put in as much effort to ensure everyone has a wonderful time." Ti'an replied.

"No kidding. Say, you haven't seen Crane and Viper around have you?" I asked. Ti'an nodded.

"I did. They arrived here around five minutes ago. I believe they're wandering around somewhere here, so I'm sure you'll find them." She assured.

"Alright thanks. I see you two are having a go at this."

"Yes, I had a try but I did not succeed. Then it was Liu's turn."

"Yeah, and I stink. I wasted two balls already and I have only one left." Liu pouted. I chuckled and knelt down beside her.

"Ah, don't worry about it. You shouldn't give up just yet." I spoke with a smile.

"But I'm just gonna miss again." Liu said with self doubt. I lightly patted her head and pointed to the target.

"Hey, I defiantly believe you can hit that thing. Just take your time like your mother said and take a deep breath before throwing. I know you can do it." I said giving her support. She turned back to the target and narrowed her eyes. Instead of hastily throwing it like last time, she took a deep breath and raised the ball, readying to throw it. After tilting her tail at an angle she believed would be enough to propel the ball fast enough to hit the target, she threw the ball and...

.splash!.

She did it! Once the ball connected with the target, the pig sitting on the platform plummeted into the tank, causing a massive smile the spread across Liu's face.

"I did it!" She cheered.

"Nice shot, Liu, I knew you could do it!" I spoke shooting her a quick high-five.

"A wonderful shot indeed, little lady." The buffalo by the kiosk said. "Well, here's your prize." He then reached for something in his kiosk and pulled it out. It was very delicate looking muffin that just looked so delicious. Liu licked her lips and took the muffin from him, immediately stuffing a large portion of it into her mouth.

"Liu, please take your time eating that." Ti'an said shaking her head. Liu stopped chewing and turned to her mother with inflated cheeks filled with muffin.

"Rorry." She spoke with her mouthful. Her mother rolled her eyes and gestured for her to follow.

"Come along, Liu, let us head further into the town. I hope you two will enjoy yourselves." Ti'an said while she slithered away.

"You too, see you later." I said with a wave. I then turned back the the buffalo. "So the prize for dunking that guy in the tank is juicy looking muffin?" I questioned. He nodded.

"You hit the target on the first hit, then that's one muffin. You hit it three times in a row, that's two. You miss the first throw, but hit the other two, it only counts as one muffin. Would you like to try, it to be two yuan?" He asked. I shrugged feeling up for the challenge. I reached into my pocket and pulled out two yuan before handing it to him. He gave me threw balls and I stood behind the wooden barrier.

"Ready to be 'wowed,' Ti? I bet I'll get then on my first try." I said turning to her. She crossed her arms and grinned.

"Wow me then." She said. I turned back to the target and readied my first throw. I inhaled deeply and threw my first ball. And it...missed.

"Crap." I whispered to myself. I readied the second ball, repeating my preparation again before throwing. And this time I...missed again. "Crap." I raised the final ball and kissed it for good luck before I repeated the previous steps. Ah ha! Now this I...you gotta be kidding, I missed again?! "Crap!" Just so you guys know, the target is...you know pretty far away, so it's understandable if I missed...three times...oh shut up!

"Oh, very unlucky, sir, at least you tried." The buffalo said. I mumbled to myself and approached Tigress who was smiling.

"How strange. I had been promised to be 'wowed' yet I appear to be unfazed by your performance. Why would that be?" Sh questioned in a taunting manner. I stuck out my tongue and crossed my arms.

"It's not as easy as it looks. In fact, why don't you give it a to?" I suggested. She unfolded her arms and nodded.

"If you insist." She reached into her pocket and pulled out two yuan. As the buffalo took the money he handed her three balls. But he was taken by surprise as Tigress gave him back two balls. "Sir, would you be willing to alter the prize outcome?" She questioned. The buffalo raised a brow.

"I'm listening."

"With this one ball, if I manage to hit the target on my first attempt, would you be willing to give me two muffins instead of one?" The buffalo taught for moment.

"You think you can get it on your first try? Sure, I'll agree to those terms." He agreed.

"Thank you." Tigress stepped up to the plank with one ball, causing me to grin.

"If I couldn't get it in three try's, how are you-"

.splash!.

My eyes widened and I became silent. Are. You. Serious. She actually made the shot?! In less than ten seconds, Tigress had lined up a shot and threw the ball, striking the target directly in the centre. I just stood there in a immobilised state as Tigress slowly turned to me with triumphant smirk.

"My goodness, that was quite a shot. Well, I'll hold my end of the bargain. Here you go, miss." The buffalo said while handing her two muffins. She took them in each and paw and turned back to me.

"How odd. You were suppose to 'wow' me, yet it the said events seemed to be in vice versa." She taunted. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. Just 'cause you're an awesome ball throwe, you feel the need to put me down for it. Very noble of you." I pouted. Her smiled deepened as she held out one muffin.

"Here." She offered.

"You sure you don't want to rub it into my face like your words?" I asked just to be certain.

"I'm certain, here." She handed to me and I smiled.

"Thanks, at least this whole thing wasn't a total waste. Come on, lets to meet up with Crane and Viper." I said as I began to chew on the muffin and it...good lord this thing was incredible! The frickin thing was so delicious and I had to resist the urge to shove the entire thing into my mouth. I savoured it for as long as I could, which was a far bit of time considering how big the damn thing was. Seriously, this thing was bigger than my fist. I'm I complaining though? Hell no. More muffin for me. Once I did finally manage to down the muffin, I released a burp with my mouth closed.

"Oh, 'scuse me. Man, that was filling and delicious." I said with a satisfied sigh. By the time had finished speaking, Tigress had finished her own muffin.

"I agree, it certainly was filling and delicious. I suppose that save us from having to get something to eat now. I don't believe I could eat another bite for a while." She said.

"Fair enough. I suppose what we should do now is find Crane and Viper, play a couple more games and head to the centre of town and listen to some music and watch some dancing." I reiterated.

"Well, part one of your plan can be crossed out. I see Crane and Viper over there." She pointed. I followed her finger until I saw them myself. The pair of them were in front of a kiosk, a fair distance away. I'm surprised Ti was able to spot them considering just how much people were moving about, but she is Master Tigress, so I shouldn't be surprised.

"Lets head over to them then." I said taking as the two of us began to navigate our way through the crowds of people. As we enclosed between us and them, they seemed to have finished whatever they were doing at the kiosk and turned around immediately spotting us in the crowds. They then began to make a beeline towards us until we all stood in one group.

"There you two are. We were wondering when you'd show up." Viper said with a smile.

"We were just speaking with your mom and sister. Then we had a played a game and came to find you." I explained.

"We just got something to eat and played a couple of games while waiting for your two. Now that you've arrived, what you say us four have some fun." Crane proposed as he faced all the kiosks with games. I craned my neck left and right, eliciting a cracking noise.

"You're on, bird-boy." I taunted as we all began to partake in games. From there, we just went from one kiosk to another, each one of us taking a turn to play the various games available. What can I say, but I had fun. A lot of fun in fact. Well besides...I wouldn't say I 'lost' the Tigress in every game, instead lets just say I let her win. Yeah, that's certainly sounds more dignifying than losing. The important thing is we had fun, okay? Not that I suck at games. Oh Christ, lets just move on. Anyway, after participating in a fair number of games, our little group had decided to head to the centre of town to enjoy some music and dancing.

(Part 2 will be up ASAP! I'm really under pressure to write here, especially with the holidays coming up. I'll try to keep to chapters coming as well as I can. Until then, thanks for bearing through with me and don't forget to review!)


	62. Chapter 62

_Chapter 62: date/not date part 2_

So as the four of us began to head to the centre of town, we all started to converse.

"Aw, man that was fun as hell." I said with a smile.

"Which was, participating in the games, or residing in defeat every time when I was your opponent?" Tigress asked with a smirk. Her little snide question caused both Crane and Viper to chuckle while I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I had the unfair advantage, I've never even played half those game before." I retorted. Ti chuckled inwardly as she playfully nudged my arm with her own.

"I'm only teasing you." She explained.

"You still have a long way to earn my forgiveness, I'm afraid." I spoke, acting brokenhearted.

"I'll present you with sincere apology later. As for now, we should all should just get to the centre of town now so we can continue to enjoy ourselves."

"We should hurry then." Viper spoke up. "My father always makes an announcement before mooncakes are passed around and the festival dancing begins."

"Mooncakes? What are they?" I asked.

"They're a type of pastry. Usually filled with red bean. It's really good, you should try one." Crane explained.

"Red bean, huh? Never tasted that before either. I suppose I could give it a shot though." I said. Shortly after finishing my sentence, the sound of something loud filled the air. All our eyes set for the skies as we soon discovered the source of the noise, that being fireworks. The sky began to become covered with a various mixture of colours, almost painting the sky with their beauty.

"Wow, it looks so amazing." Viper spoke in awe.

"No kidding and to think there's plenty more to come. This festival certainly seems to be getting better and better." I noted.

"Just wait till you see the dancing and hear the music up close, you're gonna love it. Come on, we should pick up the pace and get to the centre of town." Viper suggested, as we hurried up and headed towards the centre of town. Within a short amount of time, the four of us had finally reached the centre of town. It appeared as if though the entire town had gathered together. The air filled with the sound of dozens of conversations and laughter. The four of us just began to survey the massive crowd and search for somewhere close the to stage that had been set up.

"There doesn't seem to be any spot too close to the stage. It might look like we'll be at the back for this." Crane noted.

"There must be somewhere, just keeping looking." Viper said with narrowed eyes. I watched as her eyes suddenly stopped on one particular spot as she smiled. "Look over there, it's Mike and my sister." She said, pointing her tail towards a particular direction. When I followed it, I saw Mike and Y'ang amongst the crowd near the centre.

"Lets see if we can squeeze in with them." I said. We then began to guide our way through he massive crowd until we finally reached them with no difficulty.

"Hey, you two." Viper spoke up, catching their attention. The two snakes then turned and smiled at our presence.

"We were wondering when you guys were gonna show up. It's almost time for father to deliver his speech and then we can get to dancing!" Y'ang spoke with excitement in her voice.

"Look, there's your father now." Mike pointed. All eyes set were set upon the stage as Yǒudú who slithered onto it. The stage was also occupied by a number of different people who possessed musical instruments, no doubt they were going to play them after Yǒudús speech. Without even uttering a word, the entire crowd instantly fell silent at the great masters presence. He smiled and started to overlook the crowd before he began his speech.

"I wish to thank each and every one of you for your effort into making this festival something for all to enjoy. It seems every year you have impressed me with your devotion and hard work. Many see this festival as a variety of things to celebrate. The moon that grants us a beautiful night to gaze at, the hopes that your life will prosper into something great. But for me, the most important aspect I believe we all can agree to celebrate, is friends and family." He spoke aloud falling silent for a moment as we all nodded in agreement. "That's why I ask you to cherish those you hold close and always remember to never allow petty fights or feuds to end something you've no doubt worked hard to build. Treat each other with kindness and love. For when you're old and grey like myself, you'll see your efforts to do so will not be in vain. You'll look around you everyday and smile knowing your surrounded by those you can call family. Thank you for making this night one for us all to remember and I hope you all continue to enjoy yourselves until the night ends." At the end of his speech, the entire crowd, including myself erupted into an applause. It truly was a speech that brought a smile to my face. I will indeed enjoy myself and cherish the ones I love. I assure you that.

"Now, you'll notice a couple of people walking around with trays containing some mooncakes. Please help yourselves to them. They are courtesy of our local bakery and I hope you all enjoy them." Yǒudú added. As he said that, a guy with a tray was approaching us right now. The six of us grab one each and then we started to eat them. Upon my first bite, my mind started determine whether or not it was good. It seemed my taste buds assisted with finalising the result, that being; this thing was delicious! I'm actually surprised I neither heard or tasted this thing before, but I'm glad I have now. Once everyone was beginning to finish their mooncake, Yǒudú had one final thing to say.

"Now that we've all finished our mooncakes, let us partake in the festivals dancing! Let the music commence." At his order, music soon filled the air. It wasn't slow music either, or no, this music was fast and upbeat. Everyone began to back up and made a large open space near the stage. Yǒudú descended down the wooden steps that led up to the stage and joined his wife, who was also accompanied by Liu and Shifu. Ti'an took her husbands tail and the two began to slither towards the large open space while Shifu watched over their youngest daughter. The two snakes then started to dance with one another before they were joined by many other couples. Soon, the large empty space began to become occupied by people while the crowd watching started to clap simultaneously to the rhythmic beat of the musical instruments. I myself found it difficult to control my foot and stop it from tapping.

"Alright, english boy, think you can keep up with me?" Y'ang asked. Mike merely smirked.

"Only one way to find out." He replied while grabbing her tail and pulling onto the surrogate dancefloor.

"Should we follow by example?" Crane asked Viper with a grin plastered on his face. Viper mimicked his grin as she slithered up his body.

"Lets dance." She said as the two then left to do just that. That left me and Tigress alone as the pair of us just watch everyone dance and listened to the music. While I continued to tap my foot and clap my hands to the rhythm, I turned to towards Tigress and watched her as she gazed upon everyone dancing with utmost attention. She was displaying such transparent admiration for the entire scene. One could only assume that she had taken a liking to such an activity and being her best friend, I know that, that was indeed correct. As our friendship had began to build more potently at the beginning of this year, we each felt comfortable sharing each others secrets with one another. One particular secret she'd often share with me was her fondness of folk or festival dancing. She told me she was unsure what it was about it that drew it to it, but she knows she's always had an admiration for it since she was a teen. Yet...she has also told me she's never partaken in it, ever. She said would always watch from the sidelines. My eyes turned back to the people dancing and then switched back to Tigress. I repeated this a few times before I suddenly swallowed nervously. This entire time, it was if my mind was secretly processing thoughts without my constant for after a brief moment, it proposed the idea that I should ask her to dance. That ray of thought literally felt as if came out of nowhere, and what was even more insane I was actually agreeing to it! What was I thinking, I can't ask her to dance with me! She would just say no, or-or I'll stutter with my words, or..or I'll...you know what? Screw this...I think it's time to be a goddamn man. She told me plenty of times how much she adores dancing, she deserves to get a chance to partake in the activity. I mean, it only seems fair, right? I'm...I'm gonna ask her and I'm gonna be a man about it. I held my hands behind my back and began to slowly side-step towards her. Step by step, I made my way towards Tigress until I was finally right next to her. I inhaled deeply and nudged her arm, catching her attention when I did. In my mind I had conjured up what to say and I planned to speak it out word for word. I smiled and pointed towards the people dancing.

"Heh, dancing." Or i could just something stupid like that. Smooth, Ben, real smooth. Tigress merely smiled.

"Yes, I do believe that's the act we are witnessing, that is very observant of you." She joked. I brought my fist to my mouth and coughed nervously.

"Sorry, that wasn't exactly what I eh...what I was trying to say there. Ti, you know...I was just wondering...seeing how you and I are here...what you say you and I..." I fell silent as I just nudged my head towards the dancing to finish what I was saying. Tigress's expression turned to confusion.

"I...don" target="_blank"I...don't understand." I coughed nervously once more and started the rub the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Look...Ti, would you...would you like to...dance with me?" I asked, my voice raising an octave upon my final words. Tigress's eyes widened as she just stared at me in absolute confusion.

"D-d...dance?" She questioned with a slight stutter. I nodded in response. She turned her eyes away and I swear I almost saw a rosy tint appear on her cheeks. "I-I'm afraid I don't know how...it's just I've never...danced before." She explained.

"I know, you told me before. But I could also see then and there how much you wanted to try it sometime, why not now. I mean, I did once before, it's not that hard once you try it for the first time. Come on...you trust me don't you?" I asked holding out my hand. Tigress looked down at it before looking back to me. Once her beautiful eyes locked with mine, I produced the biggest smile I could. After a brief moment of silence, she smiled back before reaching towards my hand and intertwining her fingers with mine.

"Of course I trust you." She replied.

"Come on, then." I said leading her onto the area for dancing. I had no idea what I was experiencing right now but I liked it. It's like it gave me some newfound courage and it certainly came in handy. I really didn't think Tigress would agree do this but I've no doubt it will be fun to dance with her to this upbeat music. As soon as we found a spot to dance, guess what rather inconvenient twist took place. The music being played just switch it's tone. It was now longer upbeat and fast, it was now...slow with a soothing vibe. I watched as all round me couples ceased from dancing in a fast motion and instead replaced it with slow movements, each one of them holding each other close as they did. And Ti and I just...stood there, noticing everything change around us and both of us were well aware what kind of dance we now had to incorporate. Oh boy...this is awkward. We both finally gained the courage to turn to one another as we just stared at each other with noticeable nervous expression. I also realised I was still holding her paw, so I reached up with my empty one and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.

"Well, eh...we did day we would...dance together." I spoke up breaking the silence.

"We...did, indeed. Well, I suppose we should...begin." Tigress suggested. I have a nod as I turned to her.

"Ok, lets do this. Just...put your arms around my shoulders, like this." I instructed while taking her arms and placing them on my shoulders. She did the rest by wrapping them around my neck. "And I'll just...place my hands on your, um...hips like...this." I stuttered while my hands reach to her hips, practically shaking as they did. Once I placed them on her, I noticed their was a bit of distance between us. "We better get a little closer." Each of us took a short step towards each other until our bodies were just grazing one another's. "So, I guess we should begin dancing." I suggested. And...we were off. We started to sway with one another for a short while and just stared at one another rather uncomfortably as we did. I asked her to dance and expected us to have some fun, but is...this" target="_blank"this...this" target="_blank"this...this was just to awkward. I blame the band who were playing, they just had to switch their genre of music at a very inconvenient time, didn't they. I wish one of us would say something. I don't think I can keep doing this if we're just gonna stay silent. Alright, I guess I can try to start something up here.

"You seem to be getting the hang of this. I told you you'd get used to it when you try it for the first time." I spoke up.

"You certainly did. I suppose it isn't that difficult, once you've gotten down the basic movements. I just...when I agreed to dance with you, I hadn't considered there would be this much...discomfort." She said, addressing the obvious issue.

"Yeah, it really is kind've bad. Heh, so much for that 'there's no more discomfort between us' talk last night."

"But it's true. I don't feel any discomfort towards you. But this...this just feels different. It's something neither of us have experienced together, I could only assume that's what's causing the unwanted discomfort between us."

"I guess. I suppose...if it helps alleviate the tension in any way...I...like dancing with you." I said, feeling my cheeks light up as I did. I saw Ti's cheeks too suffer the same fate as she smiled.

"I...do too. This is my first time doing so and...I'm glad it's with you." A smile of my own spread across my face. We continued to dance in silence for while as I became lost in her...breathtaking the whole time, my eyes we staring directly into hers and I just couldn't help but feel mesmerised by them.

"Man...your eyes look beautiful in the moonlight..." My eyes widened as I just released I spoke my mind. My thoughts started to fumble about as I displayed an embarrassed expression. "Uh, sorry, I-I-I...meant...I-"

"You...really think that?" Tigress asked, interrupting my stuttering. My mouth was open as I look at her expression. She seemed shocked at what I said and she was waiting for an answer. I guess I should just tell her the truth.

"Of course I do. Your eyes have always been beautiful. It was something I always admired about you. Every time I look into them...its almost as if I'm being taken out of reality itself for I just...get lost in them." Whoa...it looked like the poet side of me just made an appearance there. That's not what I had planned to say but what I did certainly seemed to have left an impact. Tigress's cheeks were lit up with a cute rosy tint while she stared at me.

"T-t...thank you. Your words are...very kind." She spoke in a hush tone with a shy smile. Goddamn, that was so cute. As the dancing continued, my mind drifted off as a request was trying to escape my mind and...I allowed it to be spoken.

"Ti...can we...try and dance in an embrace?" I asked, almost out of nowhere.

"An...embrace?" She questioned.

"Yeah, you know, like a hug. But we'd be doing it while dancing. I'll understand if you don't want to...it was just an idea that popped out my mind." I explained. To be honest, I didn't really know why I ask in the first place. The thought literally came out of nowhere. The only reason I asked is because...I wanted to do it. I wanted to hold her in my arms arms while we danced. Why? I...wasn't quite certain. I guess my emotions took her at this point. And if you can't follow your heart, what can you follow. Tigress just stared blankly for a moment before offering a response.

"I...I would...like that." She managed to say. My heart started to beat much faster now as my request soon became a reality. I pushed up against her while also wrapping my arms further around her. Tigress wrapped her own arms around my neck tightly before she rested her head against my chest. I then rested my head on hers as we just enveloped ourselves in a tight embrace. This felt so...incredible. I had the women I had a crush on in my arms and we were dancing. Is there even a word I can use to describe how amazing this all felt? Her fur felt...so" target="_blank"felt...so soft. Her embrace felt...so strong. My heart was just beating like a drum. This just felt...incredible. This is...this felt...

 _Perfect_

(I hoped you guys liked part 2. I'll be doing one more chapter and then the whole moon festival thing will be over and I'll be moving onto another set of chapters. The next chapter will finally really kick off what most of you have been eager to see. Then the next set of chapters will finally incorporate it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!)


	63. Chapter 63

_Chapter 63: finally a confession_

For a large portion of the night, it just consisted of me and Tigress dancing. And honestly...I cherished every single moment I spent dancing with her. There was just such vast quantity of emotions coming into play during it. Some familiar while others...felt new. These ones felt so much stronger, so much more powerful. Granted these emotions weren't entirely new, I've felt them on one or two occasions with her, mainly one when I taught her to swim. It was those emotions that drove me to hold her close in my arms as we danced and would beg me not to let go. What the heck was this I was experiencing? It was such a rarity for me to experience this and I was literally searching for anything that would help me understand it. Perhaps I should tell Viper about it whenever I get the chance, I've no doubt she can help me make sense of it. As for now, the Moon Festival, had officially ended. It was rather upsetting to say the least. I don't believe I've ever enjoyed myself quite like how I did in this one night. This...one magical night. I just can't wrap my head around it. I mean, I danced with Tigress. Tigress! I felt butterflies in my stomach at just the thought of it. It will be no doubt a moment I won't ever forget. Anyway, getting back on track here, everyone had returned to Vipers home after having such a great night. Everyone resided in the kitchen except for Li, who had fallen asleep in her room, leaving just the adults awake. I've no doubt the rest of us would head to bed soon too, for it soon would be getting very late. But as of now, the kitchen erupted with conversation amongst us all. While others spoke with each other, I was speaking with Mantis, Monkey and Po, and I was listening to how their night went.

"It was unbelievable, there was so much beautiful women and not a single one took notice of my natural charm!" Mantis said with an annoyed expression. He, once more, faired no luck in attempting to woo a female. What a surprise.

"Me and Po were just watching from the sideline with snacks. Oh, boy it was so funny." Monkey chuckled alongside Po. Mantis pouted at their laughter.

"It wasn't funny. I mean, I don't understand. I was being trying my hardest to be charming and myself."

"Charming and trying to be yourself? Yeah, I'm almost positive those two things are complete antithesis of one another. If you even attempted to something like that, I'm certain the world would implode upon itself." I joked. Po and Monkey laughed while Mantis's expression turned to annoyance. "Charming, my ass. Monkey, what was his pick up like this time." I asked. Monkey cleared his throat and began to Imitate Mantis's voice.

"Hey, baby, I know I may be small but it ain't my legs holding me up." It only took seconds for me to decipher what that meant and when I did, I burst out laughing.

"You dirty bastard." I said covering my mouth to muffle my laughter while Monkey just allowed his to become amplified.

"Hey, that's some clever shit. I don't see you coming up with anything that creative." Mantis retorted.

"I know, because I could never be that revolting." I quipped.

"You can say all you want, at least I can say I was almost lucky with a female." Mantis declared. A part of me was unable to resist the urge to disagree with him and I ended up speaking my mind.

"I'm afraid you're wrong there..." I muttered aloud. The trio each raised a brow in confusion.

"The heck you mean by that?" Mantis asked. I turned to my left and saw that Tigress was I'm deep conversation with Crane and Viper. Assuring myself that she wouldn't hear me, I gestured for the three to lean closer, to which the complied.

"Well, I was hanging with Tigress throughout the night and...well...we ended dancing together." I whispered. Their eyes widened in response. Monkey's jaw dropped, Po covered his mouth and gasp, and Mantis-

"YOU DANC-" I snatched Mantis into one hand, immediately silencing him. I fearfully gazed over to Tigress and breathed a sigh of relief when I release her attention was still focused on the conversation she was having. I felt movement in my palm as well as the sound of muffled swearing. I opened my clenched fist and allowed the bug imprisoned in to draw breath. "Geez! Why did you that for?" He asked.

"I don't you need you announcing what I did to everyone, that's why." I replied with slight annoyance in my voice. He shrugged.

"I was just shocked and acted on impulse." He spoke in defensive while leaping from my palm.

"Well, now that you've processed what I said, keep you goddamn voice down." I said.

"Are you being serious? You actually managed to get her to dance?" Monkey asked. I nodded with a rather sheepish grin.

"Yeah and it was amazing. I've never really experienced something so...special before." I replied.

"And...did she feel about it." Po asked gesturing to the feline we were speaking about. I turned to her and smiled. I rested my head on my hand and began to admire her beauty.

"After we finished dancing...she said it was a moment she would never forget." I spoke in an seemingly hush tone. And it was true. That was her exact words. And I too said the same thing. That, to me, felt like an accomplishment in life.

"Man, I can't believe it. Thee Master Tigress, a hardcore warrior with a heart of steel would actually agree to do something like dance with someone! It's like she's a totally different person since I first met her." Po said.

"She's not has heartless as you might have made her out to be, Po. You've seen her at times when's she's nice and sweet. I'm sure you can even tell that she's not this 'stone cold warrior with no emotions.' She's a wonderful person with feelings just like you and me. So try and treat her as such." I requested. He nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, sorry."

"Thanks, Po." I whispered before shaking my head. "Anyway, look, I don't even know why I told you guys this. I guess I just felt the need to tell someone. Will you promise to keep it to yourselves?" I asked.

"No problem, buddy." Monkey said. I turned to Po who just made a gesture which consisted of him zipping up his lip. I then finally turned to Mantis who had a devilish grin plastered on his face.

"Are you kidding? You've supplied with me gold and you want me to stay silent about it? Hell no, I'm gonna have some fun with this." He chuckled evilly. I wasn't one for what I was about to do, but in this instance, I was willing to make an exception.

"No you won't." I spoke calmly. He wore an amused expression.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do to stop me?" He questioned.

"If you do decide to blab with this information." I said falling silent as a smile spread across my face while I leaned closer to him, making sure that Monkey and Po couldn't hear. "I will tell everyone you and I know about the female...'art' collection you have hidden in your room." I threatened. His face switched from a sly, smug expression to one which consisted of embarrassment, shame and fear.

"I'll be quiet." He spoke quickly.

"Good boy." I said sitting back in my chair while Monkey scratched his head in confusion and began asking Mantis what I said. I know that the blackmail card was one that shouldn't have been played but I seriously had to keep him quiet. I wouldn't want Tigress to suffer any embarrassment if he blabbed about what happened. Then again, this whole thing wouldn't have come to pass of I had just kept my mouth shut. At least it was over. Now, some might ask how I knew about Mantis's...'art' collection. Well...It involved me discovering a large scroll left behind in his room and when I opened to see what it was, it turned out to be...you know what, I'm not gonna talk about this, it was far too embarrassing to even speak of. I better just focus on something else now. As our conversation continued, it was soon silenced by Yǒudú, who had tapped an empty glass to gain everyone's attention. Once everyone was silent, he spoke.

"I just want to say how wonderful tonight has been and I'm glad I shared it with such wonderful people. You cannot imagine how much these moments mean to me. With that said, I propose we all share one final drink to commemorate such a memorable night. I brought home another bottle of wine for us to enjoy." Once finishing what he saying, he removed the cork off one of the bottles of wine that he spoke up and began to fill up his glass. "So, let us enjoy it!" He said with a chuckle. The rest of us filled up our own glasses with wine aside from those who didn't like any form of alcohol, that being Po and Crane, and we all made a toast to conclude a wonderful and memorable night. But for me, it meant so much more and I was extremely grateful for it. From there, everyone at the table just continued to natter for quite sometime until it was decided that we should all get some sleep. I would be joining them, just as soon as I have spoken the Viper about what happened with Tigress and these new feelings that I felt towards her. I know she'll have an answer for me, I just know it. I...sort've had a very vague idea what it might be...but I'd rather have it confirmed first just to be certain I'm not surmising it. Once everyone started to exit the kitchen to head to bed, I had called Viper back to have a word with her. She gladly obliged to my request and we soon both sat alone in the kitchen together. I sat with both my hands held together on the table while Viper had propped herself onto the chair next to me and wore a smile.

"I take it you've prevented me from getting my beauty sleep for a good reason." She joked. I smiled weakly before giving a slight nod.

"Yeah...it is. It's...about Tigress again." I explained.

"Ah, are you going to tell me how great it felt to dance with her?" She asked with a smirk. I raised a brow.

"You saw us dance?" I questioned. She nodded in response.

"Of course, you weren't hard to miss. You two looked like you really enjoyed it...especially when you both held each other close." She noted. I felt my cheeks light up as I smiled shyly.

"Heh...yeah, it was...special." I spoke with a continuous smile. But soon, it faded and was replaced with a serious expression. "And that's what I wanted to talk about. When we danced...something odd came over me. Everything I felt about her became...so much more stronger. And it was these new emotions that drove me to hold her close while we danced. But the thing is...I have no idea what these feelings are and I was hoping you could help me make sense of it." I explained. Viper took some time to review what I said and form an opinion while I waited eagerly for an answer. Once she had taken the time she needed to draw a conclusion, she wore a questionable gaze.

"And these...new feelings, why does it seem like you've experienced them before?" She questioned. I averted my gaze and sat silently for a moment, trying to gather the correct words to respond with.

"I...well, I suppose I haven't been...entirely forthcoming with all this. Indeed I have experienced these feeling before, but not as often. They only seem to occur when I feel...more closer to Tigress than I've ever been. Like when she had River Fever and I nearly lost her. I felt so...empty, like my entire life had just ended in a flash because I lost another person in my life who I cared for greatly. But...while her eyes opened and she began to breath once more...it felt as if though everything I felt about changed forever. I just wanted to have her by my side and always protect her with my life. And...I still feel that way to this day." I replied, meaning every word I said. Viper began to be analysing my words to try and make sense of what I was feeling and I hope she does, for I can't keep dwelling in the dark. I sparked with hope as Viper seemed finish reviewing my words.

"I believe I do I have the answer as to why you feel this way." She said. I smile wildly, feeling immense relief at her words.

"So...what do my feelings mean?" I asked. She smiled warmly before gently laying her tail in my hand. I smiled back with my heart racing in anticipation for the answer. And it was about the come.

"I'm not going to tell you." Viper said.

...

I felt so confused at what she said. She's...not going to tell me?

"Wha-what? Why not?" I asked in confusion. Vipers smile deepened before she began to explain.

"Because I think you already know what the answer is. I think you're just too afraid to admit it in case you're wrong." She explained. How...how did she now that I have an...idea what these emotions are? Was I that transparent?

"Viper...my conclusion for what I'm feeling is-"

"Better than anyone else's." She interrupted. I fell silent and listened to what she had to say. "I can help you with so much and I can console you with so much more. But, sometimes the answers we seek may not always have to come out of the mouths of others. The answers may always lie within the one asking the questions. And in this instance...I believe you know the answer. And I want you to say it aloud." She said. I just stared at the serpent while being filled with confusion and with a slight hint of nervousness.

"Viper, I-I don't-"

"Don't be afraid, Ben. Just speak with your heart instead of your mind and you'll find that the answer you seek will be coming from your own mouth." She encouraged. I felt my heart race as my eyes turned to the table. I said nothing for my mind was racing with thoughts. But...I tried thinking with my heart. I thought about when Ti and I first met, when we first became friends and when we first played checkers together. I thought about how we pulled each other through the situation with Tai Lung, how she nursed me back to health and when my feelings for her first came into play. I thought about when we both went to look for her parents, how I taught her to swim, how...beautiful she looked without clothing and how I held her close while she silently mourned for her parents. And finally...I thought about the dance we had earlier, how special it meant to me and how much I would cherish that moment with her forever. The entire time I had allowed my mind the try and draw a conclusion...and the entire time, my heart had the answer. How could have I been so blind? The only way I could justify all these moments and memories, and emotions...was with three words.

...

" _I love Tigress_..."

...

"I...love" target="_blank"I...love Tigress." I repeated once more. My heart started beating violently in my chest, my eyes widened and my mouth was opened ajar. I turned to a smiling serpent as...laughter escaped mouth. "I love Tigress! I love her!" I spoke loudly. I covered my mouth, realising how loud I spoke. "Sorry." Viper laughed.

"Don't be, you're in love! How it took you so long to figure it out, I will never know." She said.

"I don't know either but...I'm...I'm so happy right now!. I...I need to tell her. I need to tell her now, but...she might be asleep." I felt upset at the thought that I would have to put this off until tomorrow. But Viper seemed to be wearing a reassuring smile.

"She won't be. During our conversation when we all came back from the festival, she told me she would be outside moon gazing later. Which would be now." I smiled wildly once more and perked up with joy.

"She is?" I questioned just to confirm I was certain I heard correctly. She nodded.

"Yes, now go and tell her, right now mister." She ordered. I chuckled and nodded. As I was about to stand up and do as she said...but instead I sat back down and stared at Viper with a smile.

"Viper, I...thank you...for everything. Because of you I have a chance to be with someone special and for that, I will always be grateful."

"Think nothing of it. You helped me and Crane get together, it only felt right to return the favour." She said. My smile deepened before I leaned towards her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks." I spoke while sprouting to my feet and exiting the kitchen towards my crush...the girl I loved. I just can believe it! How could I have buried this conclusion for the sake of being wrong?! But now that it's finally out in the open...I feel like singing and dancing! This entire time I thought what I felt for her was nothing more than a mere teenage crush and yet it turned out...I loved her the entire time! Goddamn I need to tell her, like right now! I hurried down the hallway towards the front door with a smile so wide you'd mistake me for some psychopath. Once I had reached the front door, I slowly began to open in and was struck with a short gust of wind. I stepped outside into the night with a small bitter cold gnawing at me. I then closed the door behind me and proceeded in the search for Tigress. I began to walk down the long hill that led up to the house but stopped almost immediately as I saw her. She was merely a short distance from the house, sitting with her legs dangling over the hill while her paws where placed on her laps. My heart started to pound at a quickened pace for it knew what I had plan to do. I swallowed hard and began to devise a plan on how I was going to do this. I suppose the wise way would be to ease myself into it, perhaps converse beforehand and then tell her once we were both settled into conversation. Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. Okay...here goes nothing. I hope to god I don't screw this up. I took one step towards her and then another, and another, until eventually my presence was soon discovered by the feline. Her head spun around and eyed me. She then offered a heartwarming smile to which I returned with one of my own.

"Ben, hello, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm doing very well. I was just admiring the moon and night sky. What are you doing?"

"I just...came out to get some fresh air and saw you here" I explained

"Well, seeing how you're out here...would you care to join me?" She offered. I smiled and nodded before I took a seat beside her while bringing my hands together.

"Thanks, Ti." She gave a nod and turned her eyes back to the magnificent and breathtaking sight that was above us. My eyes soon followed as I too fell under its beauty. The night was always my favourite part of the day. Something about its dark blanket that hung above us with its stars and moon always left me in awe. And tonight, it was a full moon and my god, it was majestic. So bright and welcoming. The sun can suck it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tigress asked. I turned to her and saw that her head was still facing the sky while her eyes were laid upon me. But they soon turned back to the sky as she awaited answer. My eyes didn't turn back to the sky to find an answer but instead...they remained on her. I nodded.

"Yes... _very beautiful_..." I answered in a whisper. Her eyes turned back towards me and noticed I was looking at her whole saying that. I saw her cheeks adopt a reddish tint while a smile spread across her face. That always made me smile. My eyes turned back to the sky and we both sat silently. So much for keeping the damn conversation going. I better say something right now. I turned back to Ti and then my eyes gazed to the gap between us. Then an idea popped in my mind. Though, I wasn't exactly certain what the idea was. Suddenly I began to slowly shift towards her. Okay that's not saying something that's doing something. Dammit Brain, you should know the difference but now! I just kept shifting ever so slowly towards her, acting completely on instinct. I was quite certain where this going and if I'm correct in assuming as such, I hope I don't blow everything by doing so. I continued to shift towards her until finally there was a mere inch between us. Tigress didn't seem in anyway aware of this or did and didn't do anything about it. Either way, what I was going to do next was a risk...one I was willing to take. My eyes started to focus anywhere but the feline next to me while my arm began to raise and aim for her shoulder. Inch by inch, it crept towards her until it finally hovered over shoulder. The entire time I felt nervous to continue, but I continued to press on. I finally placed a hand on her shoulder, almost immediately catching her attention. Her eyes locked with my hand before they turned to me with confusion coating them. I instantly pulled it away and started to stroke my wrist nervously, regretting doing what I had just did.

"S-sorry, I-I just...I-"

"It's alright, I...do not mind." She assured. I felt my nervousness alleviate upon her words. With offering a response I slowly reached back and rested my hand on her shoulder once more, causing her to smile and making one of my own appear. We both turned back to the sky and sat silently. It was only a short moment before I felt Tigress shift in my grasp. I turned to her I was surprise to see her...leaning against me with her head resting on my shoulder. Her advance was most welcome for I responded by resting my own head on hers, feeling her soft fur brush my cheeks and facial hair. This felt...really nice. My hand slipped from her shoulder and lightly gripped her arm instead.

"Heh, well...this is nice." I joked. I heard a soft chuckle escape the feline before she spoke.

"Indeed it it. I'm glad you came out here with me. I always enjoy your company." She said.

"Ditto." I spoke with a chuckle. While my eyes were glued to the sky, I was taken by surprise when I felt my other hand being turned over. I looked down and saw Tigress join her paw with it. Noticing this, I intertwined her fingers with my own and held her paw tightly. This advancement was shortly followed by me pulling her a little closer and pushing my cheek against the fur on her head.

"You know...tonight was wonderful. I've attended many Moon Festivals but I don't believe I've ever experienced so much fun at one before. I believe I have you to thank for that." Ti said. I smiled, feeling grateful for such kind words.

"Thanks. I should thank you as well. This was my first time celebrating the festival and because I spent it with you, it's become one of my most cherished moments."

"Ditto." I heard Ti said causing me to chuckle.

"The games were fun." She noted.

"Those muffins were frickin delicious." I added.

"The music sounded wonderful." She continued.

"And the dancing was also wonderful." We spoke in unison. The simultaneous sentence caused us both to chuckle.

"Yes...the dancing. I don't believe I've ever had the privilege of partaking in the activity...and have it be so incredible. I'm very grateful you convinced me to dance, it turned out to be another moment I'll cherish." Ti said.

"Yeah, me too. I got to experience a wonderful moment...with a wonderful woman." I said removing my head from hers and awaited for her head to turn to me. Once it did and our eyes met, I saw her cheeks once again succumb to a rosy tint while a smile also appeared.

"Your words are...very sweet."

"Heh, thanks..." I whispered with a smile. My eyes never left her gaze and we both just stared into each others eyes until my smile faded as my mind had reminded what I was originally suppose to do.

I believe now was the best time...to confess my feelings.

I took a deep breath before I pulled myself from the embrace we were in and shifted away from the edge of the hill, sitting myself in a lotus position while facing Tigress. Her smile too faded once she noticed a pulled away and sat facing her. Before she could ask any questions I gestured for her to do the same. Now she sat facing me and wore a questionable gaze that awaited for answers.

"Tigress, I...I need to tell you something..." I said. Before I continued, I reached down and grabbed her paws and held them tightly. She just sat silently and listened. "What I'm about to say might seem to be coming out of nowhere, but...it is how I've felt for a long time. And for a long time, I haven't been able to gather the correct words to express correctly how I feel...until tonight." I explained.

"Ben, I don't under-"

"Ti...please, just listen...please." I begged. I stared directly into her eyes and started to pour out my heart. "Tigress...since we had first became friends, I've felt a like there was unique bond between us. One of which nothing in the world could ever break. Since then, it's been growing stronger and stronger, filling me with joy to finally have someone I can share anything with and call best friend. But...for a long time...I haven't felt like that anymore. It was soon replaced with something different, something...incredible. I began to feel so much more different about you. I wanted to hold you close, I wanted to protect you with my life, I wanted...for you to always be with me. For a long time my mind was arguing with itself as what to make of all this. For a long time I believed for it to be nothing more than a...teenage crush. But...I then realised the entire time, I was thinking with my mind...not my heart. When you and we're dancing...there was just so much emotions running through me and it was those emotions that drove me to hold you close when we danced. I felt so happy. I just wanted to keep you in my arms and keep you safe. It was then I realised...I was thinking with my heart for the first time. And when that happened, it helped me make sense of how I truly felt about you. It wasn't mere friendship or a mere crush. It was so much more." I paused during my confession as I reached up with one hand and began to stroke her cheek. "I guess...what I'm trying to say is..."

" _I love you, Tigress_." I whispered aloud.

...

Silence filled the air as I allowed my words to sink in. Tigress stared back at me with the most perplexed expression anyone could ever conjure. Her eyes; widened. Her mouth; opened wide. Her breaths; shaking. And she remained like this for a long time. It was almost like she had turned into a statue. But...she finally managed to speak.

"Wha...w-what...?" She stuttered. I smiled before I reached up with my another hand and placed it onto her other cheek.

"I...love you..." I repeated. Silence once again was the only thing to offer a response. It was certainly making me nervous. Why wasn't she saying anything? Granted, I knew the news would shock her but...her lack of response is almost making me regret pouring my heart out. I...I feel like I should do something, but what? My answer shortly arrived as I soon discovered my head began to move forward. What...what's happening? My heart started to pound violently at not only at fact that my head was moving towards her...but that her head was doing the same. Oh my god are we...are we going to...kiss? I swear it felt like my heart was was threatening to burst out my chest at this point. It felt as if though my head was moving on its own. I could regain control of it and cease from this advancement...but I didn't. I...I wanted this to happen. Inch by inch, the distance between our heads began to decrease until it was our lips that began to take point. My eyes ever so slowly began to close as did hers. The distance between our lips shortened every second until finally...they rested inches apart from each other. I felt her warm breath strike my lips, sending shivers down my spine. Then...then we-

"I...I can't..." I heard Tigress say. My eyes opened fully as Tigress pulled away from me, leaving me in confusion and despair. She shook her head and scrambled to her feet.

"Wha-I-Ti, I-"

"Please forgive me, Ben. I...I have to go." She said before she headed towards Vipers home in a hurry with her paw covering her face. My breathing quickened as I shot to my feet and walked after her.

"Tigress, wait, please! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I spoke aloud. I stopped in my tracks as I saw her enter the house. I felt a sharp pain strike my heart as I collapsed to my knees and stared at nothing but a front door. I...couldn't even begin to describe...how I felt right now. It was of though someone had gripped my heart and squeezed it tightly, almost threatening to kill me. I...couldn't believe it. After all this time...after all this planning...it was for nothing. I had lost the only opportunity the have someone special in my life and now...I felt almost empty. My eyes set upon the ground as I felt tears beginning to fill them. My lip began to quiver as I sobbed silently. The love of my life had just rejected me...what did I do wrong? Did I force this confession onto her? Did I make her uncomfortable? It was that damn kiss we nearly had wasn't it? If I haven't practically forced that on her, she might have been able to explain how she felt. But now...the opportunity was lost. I may never know if she feels the same way. All because I didn't give her a chance to speak. The only thing that ran through my mind through my moment of despair was three words.

 _I'm sorry, Ti_.

(And there we go! That was the last chapter revloving around the Moon Festival and now I'm moving onto, what a lot of you have been waiting for, BenxTi chapters. Yes it is finally coming. When they are coming however is a little unknown to me. I'll try and get them up as soon as I can because I'm planning to incorporate the holiday special into my story too. And no, I will not being taking from the script when it comes to that, I'm going to try and use my own. But we'll cross that bridge when we arrive at it. But for now, don't forgot don't leave a review! I would like to hear everyones opinion on BenxTi, I would like to see what everyone thinks of it.)


	64. Chapter 64

_Chapter 64: down in the dumps_

Two weeks...two goddamn weeks. That's how long it's been since I confessed my feelings to Tigress and had them...rejected. Or at least, that's what I believed happened. I can't think of any other reason. But that wouldn't make sense, Viper told me she viewed me as more than a friend, so why did she take off when I told her I loved her? Was it bad timing? Was she just not ready to hear it? Whatever the reason...it doesn't really matter now. I haven't spoken to Tigress since then and she hasn't spoken to me. We practically avoided one another twenty-four-seven and you can imagine why. It was really tearing me up inside knowing the fact that I couldn't wake up the next day and spend it with her. How did she feel about it? I...I don't know. I really don't. I do know how the others felt though. It didn't take them long to notice our aberrant behaviour. Each of them took turns questioning what was happening between us and I offered nothing but silence as a response. I just couldn't talk about it because frankly..:I wasn't doing too good with these past two weeks. I let my drinking get the better of me on more than one occasion and I don't believe I've gotten a decent nights rest for a while. The only time I've felt this shitty was when I first arrived here. I just...I didn't know what to do. I wanted her back. I wanted us to talk to each other again. At this point, I didn't even care if she didn't love me back, I would be fine just being friends. I just...I wanted my girl back. This whole train thought was really depressing me, which is why I was here in the kitchen. It was a Saturday afternoon and the sun was in the process of setting at a very slow pace. I came here to try and focus my thoughts and emotions. Before I came here I just scurried from the palace to The Valley and finally here. Why come to the kitchen to focus my thoughts and emotions and not somewhere more peaceful like the peach tree you might ask? Well, the reason being is because I initially came here to adopt the aid of Mister Whiskey. But once I reached the kitchen, I forbid myself from touching the bottle. If I had surrendered to the urge to try and use alcohol to ease my pain, it would most certainly get out of hand. But right now, my thoughts were depressing the hell out of me. I suppose...a glass couldn't hurt. I got up from the seat I was on and headed for a top cabinet which held another one of my whiskey bottles. There was only half of the bottle left, perhaps finishing it off wouldn't be such a bad idea. No, one glass, that's it. I pulled out an empty glass and set then down onto the table before slumping down onto a seat. My fingers slowly tapped on the table as my mind told me this was a bad idea. I shoved the objection aside as I uncorked the bottle and grabbed the glass. As I was about to fill the glass but I stopped instantly and just stared at the bottle. The liquid contained within swirled back and forth along the tilted bottle while I just stared at it. I finally caved in and grunted in defeat. I shove the glass aside and started to bottle to my mouth until it-

"So this is where you've been! We've been looking everywhere for you." A voiced spoke, echoing throughout the room. I lowered the bottle and turned to discover Crane and Viper standing by the doorframe. While the avian held a neutral expression, Viper, did not. She stared at me with contempt eyes, probably trying to silently scorn me or something. Her gaze didn't affect me as I just turned away and raised the bottle to attempt to drink once again. "Oh, no you don't, give me that." The serpent said while swiping the bottle from my grasp.

"Hey! Give me that back!" I ordered. As I tried to reach for it, Viper pulled it away and handed it to Crane, who in turn guarded it with his wings.

"Not a chance, you've been drinking far too much these past two weeks and you've been ignoring us too. So you're not getting it back until you start explaining why." She explained in a serious manner. I grunted in annoyance before I leaned back in the chair with my arms crossed and head turned away.

"I don't want to talk about it." I muttered.

"Well, you're going to, mister, otherwise I'll pour the entire bottle down the sink." Viper threatened. I sighed and just remained silent. I then saw Crane approaching me out of the corner of my eye and stopped beside me.

"Look, Ben, Viper told me about what you and her talked about when we were all at her family's home. I was really happy for you. But...we" target="_blank"But...we know something happened that started all this odd behaviour between you and Tigress, we just want to know what. We're your friends, Ben, so please tell us." Crane asked in an almost pleading manner. I remained silent for a short moment before I slowly turned towards the couple. Both of them had concerned expressions that awaited for me to offer any response besides silence. And...I just couldn't remain silent and ignore them. These two were just as close to me as Tigress was and they are trying to help. I suppose I would have had to talk to someone about it soon or later. I guess it was inevitable. I sighed once more in defeat as I leaned forward and frowned.

"Alright...fine, I'll tell you what happened..." I muttered. Viper propped herself onto the chair beside me while Crane leaned closer and they both just listened. "You both know that...I love Tigress and I that I told her I loved her. What happened when I did...is probably not what you're expecting to hear. When I sat down with her, outside your family's home, I practically poured my heart out to her. I told her just how much she meant to me and I always wanted her in my life. Then...I told her I loved her. As you could imagine, she was completely shocked to her that come out of my mouth. And we...just...stared into each others eyes silently. She didn't say a word which was really making think that I made a mistake. But...suddenly, practically out of nowhere, our heads started to move towards one another."

"Wait...we're you two going to...?" Viper questioned. I smile weakly and nodded.

"Yeah...we were. My heart was fricking thumping in my chest so hard. I mean...I could feel the heat of breath against my lips." My smile faded and was replaced with a frown. "But...we never kissed. Instead she...she just freaked out and took off. I tried to apologise but she didn't listen. I've never felt so rejected in all my life. That's why I've been ignoring your questions for the last two weeks. I just couldn't bring myself to talk about it. I don't think it matters now anyway. I've ruined my chance to be with her. It's...over..." I lowered my head feeling a combination of emotions come over me. But the one that branched out was anger as it caused me to slam my fist down onto the table. "Goddammit!" I shouted. Viper placed a tail over my hand to calm me.

"Calm down, Ben. This isn't where it ends, this whole thing can be mended. I can talk to Tigress and-"

"Viper, please...just stop. I know you want to help but I...I just don't care anymore." I interjected.

"I know that's not true. For months you've loved that woman and expressed how much you care for her. I know she feels the same way, I just don't know why she did what she did. I can ask her and get an answer for you, then, this whole thing can get back on track." She continued. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"You do what you want to do, Viper. As for me, I need to be alone." I said while standing up but I was stopped by Crane.

"Ben, everything will turn out alright, you'll see. Just give Viper a chance to get an answer from Tigress. Then, the three of us can work out what to do next. Just...please don't give up, man. You were there for me when I couldn't gather the courage to tell Viper I loved her. And with your support, you helped me...us turn a mere friendship into what we have now. And I want to help you achieve that too." Crane said, offering his most kindest words to try and persuade me not to give up. Although it didn't persuade not to give up, It was enough for me to smile as I patted his shoulder.

"I appreciate you trying to help, buddy. But I just...I think this whole thing needs to mend on its own. Maybe soon enough, we'll start talking again and hopefully just go back to being friends. As for now, if you or anyone else needs me, I'll be by the peach tree." I said as I walked around the avian and left the kitchen with neither one of them attempting to call me back. Being alone was what I wanted right now. It was what I needed. Perhaps now that the idea of alcohol helping me was not an option, I can vent some of this pain more conventionally. I suppose I could try processing my thoughts more clearly with a sober mind, or maybe I can start punching something repeatedly until my knuckles bleed. I guess the only other viable option would be to cry until there wasn't an ounce of liquid in my body. I really didn't care what I did as long as I was on my own. At the least the peach tree was always a place for me to go when there's a time of turmoil in my life. At this point, I had reached the Hall of Warriors for I was heading down the steps that led up to it in order to reach the peach tree. From there, I just dragged my feet towards the said tree with a frown of my face and my thoughts focusing on the beautiful feline I loved.

Outside the Hall of Warriors...

Ben waddled down the steps ever so slowly until he had disappeared from view. But unbeknownst to him, at set of amber eyes were watching him pass by the Hall of Warriors. A figure slipped from behind one of the engraved columns that rested outside the hall and into the setting sun, revealing itself to be Tigress. She stared silently where Ben was just a few moments ago with a frown. She had never seen him so upset for as long as she has known him and this made her feel ashamed, for she believed it to be her doing. The feline shut her eyes and sighed, thinking back to...that night. She couldn't fathom the fact that after so many years of training to the point of her bones breaking and grasping control of her very emotions, she had completely allowed herself to lower her guard and...feel emotions. She actually agreed to dance with him! And not only that, she agreed to dance in an embrace. How could an esteemed Kung Fu master allow herself to lose control of her emotions after so many years of learning to control them? It was possible she could have turned away from Ben and regain control but...when she was with him...but something practically forbid her from doing so. It was when she was with him that made her feel this way. It was him who caused her to lower her guard. And it was him...who caused her to...feel again. And that was before visiting Viper's family. She had been battling for months what course of action that should be taken when regarding her relationship with Ben. And what had finally pushed her to the limit was when...he said _he loved her_. She never thought she would her ever hear those words and have them directed at her. And when it did, for the first time in a long time...she didn't know what to do. In any other situation, she would have elaborated on a plan that would help her out of a situation. But in the instance, it wasn't her mind at work...it was her heart. And the only answer her heart offered was to move her head towards him. When she did, she... _she almost_...

Tigress shook her head and tried to focus on her current task, that being the reason she was outside the Hall of Warriors. Inside, she would finally get an answer for her problem. She had given up trying to solve this problem on her own and was here to seek the aid of someone she was certain had the answer.

 _Her father._

(I know it was a short chapter, but I'm certain the next one will make up for that when I have time to type up. as for now, I only ask for you to leave a review!)


	65. Chapter 65

_Chapter 65:_ _together...at_ _last_

Tigress pressed her paws firmly against the large doors that led into the Hall of Warriors and pushed them with force, causing them the open slowly while also eliciting a loud creaking noise from it. She stepped into the hall with both paws still on the doors. Once she was inside the hall, she pushed against the doors once again and closed them behind her. The sound of them closing echoed throughout the hall and was followed by silence. Tigress's eyes didn't gaze upon the many artefacts on display or the pictures framed on the walls for own to admire. No, instead they immediately locked with the lone figure, resting quietly in a lotus position beneath the golden dragon that was watching over the reflecting pool beneath it. And the figure that rested beneath the statue and beside the small pool, revealed itself to be the wise, elderly Master Shifu. His ears twitched upon the opening and closing of the halls doors.

"Who might I ask has entered?" He questioned in a neutral tone, that echoed throughout the hall. Tigress stepped forward with one paw over the other.

"It's me, father." She replied, her own voice bouncing off the walls. The old master and father turned with a very visible smile upon his face. His welcoming expression caused the tiger to return it with one of her own.

"Ah, Tigress, good afternoon, is there something you require?" He asked maintaining his smile. Tigress took another few steps while stroking one paw.

"Indeed. I've come to discuss something that is a...personal matter." She explained. Shifu's smile faded and was replaced with a state of neutralness.

"I see. Well, come," he spoke gently, while patting a spot beside him, "join me and we shall discuss this personal matter." Tigress inhaled deeply which was followed by a long exhale. She approach her father with a calm exterior but almost nervous and frightened interior. Despite the fact that the two have become more father and daughter like, Tigress still maintained a clear fear of his disapproval, whether it be something big or small. And now, she had planned to inform him of her...questionable relationship with someone she held close who also happened to be his student. So sharing this with him did not coincide well with her fear, for she felt that after hearing the situation between her and Ben, it might anger him, possibly even resulting in a barrier place between her and her close friend. But she desperately needed to find an answer and if that meant facing her fear, then so be it. After the feline approached her father, she sat in a similar position beside him and the two faced on another.

"So, what is this 'personal' matter you wish to discuss?" Shifu asked. Tigress shut her eyes and once again took a deep breath before opening her eyes again.

"This matter, which I can only refer to as an obstacle or challenge of a sort, has been on my mind for months and I cannot seem to find an answer for it. It's unlike any other I've face and as such, it's beginning to bother me. Which is why I've come to you today in hopes that you could help me solve it or at the very least bring me a step closer." She explained. Shifu raised a brow.

"Alright, tell me your problem and I shall see if I can assist." He said.

"Ok. To begin with, the reason I refer to this as a ' _personal_ ' matter is because it does not involve something like my training. It involves...an emotional matter..." She spoke almost regretting even saying the word 'emotional'. "I know you must be surprised that out of all the people, its me your hearing this from. I'm aware I haven't approached you before with something like this, but as of now, I desperately require your help." Once Tigress had finished speaking, she shut her eyes and awaited for him to tell her that she was weak for allowing emotion to overcome her, that she should have buck up and find a sensible solution to solve this problem. But...the scolding never came. Instead in its place, took a sign of affection and understanding. Her eyes widened as she felt something being placed over her paw. She started to investigate as to what it was and was surprised to find her fathers paw placed over hers. She turned to him and was greeted to the sight of a smile on his face.

"Tigress, you are my daughter, I love you and only wish to help and protect you. You should have brought this matter to my attention sooner if you deemed it so important." He spoke with kindness and sincerity. Although she felt relieved and thankful for his fatherly love, she couldn't help but be a little blunt with him.

"I would have come sooner, if not for the fear of your disapproval of an emotional matter, father." She pointed out. Shifu didn't wish to beat around the bush and act like he didn't know what she was referring to. He knew she was speaking of the early days of their relationship and where it stood. That being nothing more than student and master. He was particularly harsh towards her, training her to act strong and bury emotion. And if she should display any signs that she was allowing emotion to control her, he would scold her and refer it as a failure, much to the felines despair. This would result in her being trained harder and harder until she learned to grasp control of her emotions. Although these were very harsh circumstances, Shifu had believed it was in his best intentions. But years later, he could only feel shame for how wrong he was. A long sigh had escaped the old master as he lowered his head in shame.

"Indeed...in your earlier years, I would have expressed my disapproval of this. But...as" target="_blank"But...as timed passed, I saw what I was turning you into and it was clear I was wrong to treat you with such a harsh manner. But, I believed it to be for your own good. For when Tai Lung was still under my guidance, I showered him with adulation and promised him glory. But after raising him with excessive love and affection, he became..." Shifu was unable to finish the sentence, as his eyes shut tightly. He was unable to bear thought of what he turned his son into and what fate he had met due to his failure as a father. And with that thought made transparent in his mind, his eyes opened once more and locked with Tigress's. "That is why I was so harsh with you. I believed that if I had distanced myself from you and raised you in this manner, I wouldn't lose you. You were such a heartbroken child and all I wanted to do was help you. And over the months I spent training you how to control your anger, I grew attached to you. Under your angered exterior rested the soul of a kind and sweet child. So I knew that when I adopted you, I couldn't repeat my actions again and risk heartbreak of losing another child and turning you into a monster. But even now, it's seems my methods were also flawed and resulted in you unable to even call me father for years, or approach me with personal matters. I have been...a terrible father." Shifu said, directly showing remorse for his duty as a father. Tigress was shocked to hear him speak in such a harsh way about himself. She was completely unaware just how hard he had been on himself over the years. She could understand why he did what he did, although she certainly may not have agreed with his methods. Still...to hear that he at least was sorry for his choice in methods, made her feel grateful. This wasn't quite how she was expecting for this conversation to go, but perhaps this was a prerequisite for the pair of them in order to discuss Tigress's personal matter. It may even bring them a little more closer and Tigress was more than willing to take the first step. She reached out to her father a laid a paw gently upon his shoulder. His eyes reopened but remained locked with the pool in front of him. Tigress smiled.

"You are not a terrible father. You gave me everything I always dreamed of. A home and a family. Although you may have been strict with me...you had your reasons for doing so. And I understand them. You tried your best and that's all anyone can ask for. If its any consolation, I forgive you and...I'm willing to put the past in the past." She spoke surprising her father. He felt a little speechless to hear this escape the mouth of someone he treated horribly. But he was most certainly grateful. A smile returned to his face once more as well as the felines.

"I am beyond grateful to hear you say that, Tigress. Your forgiveness means the world to me. And I most certainly am willing to turn over a new leaf and turn what we have into something better. And I wish to start doing that by dealing with this matter you've brought to my attention. Which we've seemed to have strayed from. So now that you have given me the chance to redeem myself, please allow me to help you in any way to solve this problem of yours. But to do so, I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate on it in order for me to assist." Shifu said. Tigress felt beyond relieved that the tension to come clean with her personal problem had alleviated, now she could truly share the matter with her father.

"Of course. Well, my personal matter revolves around...affection. More specifically...romance..." Tigress explained. She waited for a response and it came shortly.

" _I see_..." Shifu muttered, silencing himself so she could continue.

"I have...developed feelings for another. He...he means a great deal to me and I care for him deeply. He has helped me become a better person and has brought out the best in me. But I haven't told him how I feel. Because I didn't know if he felt the same way. But...as of recently...he has expressed his own affection for me. In an...extremely strong manner. To be more specific, he told me...he loved me..." She spoke as her voice almost stuttered upon her final words. She felt almost lightheaded as she heard his voice speak those words once more in her mind. Her innards felt twisted and it was as if though her body heated up every time she heard those words. It wasn't that this was particularly a bad thing. If anything, she felt almost...flattered to know that someone she held dear, had expressed openly his immense affection for her. But for her...she was uncertain as to what to do. She had an idea what she wanted to do, which would be to...return the affection. But she preferred to hear her fathers opinion, so that he could perhaps make the decision easier for her. The old master took his time to process his daughters words. It certainly came as a surprise to him to hear she had become romantically interested in another. Yet, he also felt happy for her. But before he could press on the matter, he needed to clear something up.

"And this ' _he_ ', who you refer to, I'm I correct in assuming that you are speaking about Master Ben?" He questioned. Tigress didn't feel surprised that he was able to deduce who she was speaking about, so she just nodded silently. Shifu smiled and released a quiet inward chuckle. "I should have known." He said. Now that did surprise Tigress.

"What?" She questioned.

"I have observed the relationship between you two for months. I watched you two become brow close and hold a powerful friendship. However...when we had visited Master Vipers former home, I was shocked at the sight that laid before me when the festivals dancing commenced. I saw the both of you...together...dancing. And not in any conventional dance, you held each other close. I should have known then and there, that there was something much more than mere friendship between you two. And now, you've confirmed that not only have you shown clear affection for him but he also has shown it too. But one question I must ask is, why have you told me this? What is it exactly to you wish for me to say?" Shifu asked.

"I am hoping that you could help me make a decision on what course of action I should take about this. He told me he loved me and I am unsure what I should do. Should I return his affection? Or should I turn it away? What should I do?" She asked. Shifu sighed.

"I'm afraid it's not my decision to make, Tigress. For when it comes to the matter of the heart, only _you_ can decide what to do."

"But...but I don't know what to do. I've never faced any emotional matter as complicated as this. How do I know the wrong decision from the right?" She asked.

"It's not always that clear, Tigress. With your training, there's always a distinction between doing it right or wrong. But while it comes to personal matters, the answer may not always be clear."

"So how do I make a decision?" Tigress questioned. Shifu placed his paw back onto hers before replying.

"Just go with you feel is right. Follow what your heart says and then perhaps you will make the right decision. But know this, whichever course of action you take, know that I will respect it and be behind you for making the decision." Shifu assured. Tigress remained silent as her thoughts began to take in this is information and process it. This wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. Initially of course, but now, it was clear this decision was hers and hers alone to make. And finally, she had come to a decision. She stood up and turned to her father.

"Thank you for your help, father. I believe I...I know what I do." She said.

"I'm glad I was able to assist you, Tigress. I hope the choice you make will put your mind at ease." Shifu spoke with a smile. Tigress bowed slightly before turning to leave. "Tigress, wait." Her father called her back. The feline stopped on the spot and turned a of towards him.

"Yes?"

"I just want you know, if you should experience any other problems you wish to discuss, please do not be afraid to approach me again." He said. Tigress smiled before nodding.

" _I will_." She promised before she turned and headed for the exit of the hall. The felines mind was imploding with thought on what she was about to do. A combination of emotions were running through her. Ranging from fear to bliss. As she finally reached the doors, she flung them open and hurried outside. And only when she stepped outside, she realised the sun had set, probably during her conversation with her father. However the time of day wasn't the thought that was on her mind, it was where Ben was. She saw him head down these steps so he could be-

"Tigress, here you are, I've been looking everywhere for you." A voice out of nowhere said. Tigress searched for the source of the noise and was surprised to find a familiar serpent by one of the columns outside the hall. It dawned on Tigress that she was so focused on her thoughts, that she was oblivious to her friends presence.

"Viper? What's are you doing here?" The feline asked. Her friend slithered forward before speaking.

"I've come to talk to you. Look, I know what happened be-"

"Forgive me, Viper but I cannot stay converse," Tigress interjected, "I must find Ben. Do you know where he is?"

"Why do to-"

"Viper, please, it's important." Tigress spoke practically begging. Viper took note of her expression and was indeed convinced that it was important. So she dropped what she came to talk about and answered Tigress's question.

"He wanted to be alone so he headed up to the peach tree." Viper explained.

"Thank you, Viper." Tigress turned and began heading to the peach tree at a quickened pace as a perplexed serpent just watched her silently disappear into the distance. Tigress's quickened pace soon augmented until she found herself in a light jog. Then she sped up more and found herself in a full sprint. And finally, the feline dropped on all fours, speeding off towards the peach tree win her heart racing and a smile on her face.

At the peach tree...

How long have I been here? Like ten minutes? And yet it feels like hours. All I've been doing for the past ten minutes or so was sit down with my back against the peach tree as I watched the dark sky that came out during my walk here. The moon especially made quite a grand entrance due to it being bright and full. I assume you'd think I was seeing it as something beautiful that brought happiness. Well, unfortunately, that was not the case tonight. For every moment my eyes rested on the moon, the more sad I became. The reason being is it that he reminded me of when Ti and I sat on the hill watching the sky together. My arm around her, her paw in my hand and her fur pressed against my cheek. It felt so perfect, like a moment you prayed would never come to an end. But alas, not only did it end...it was followed by something even more depressing. I shut my eyes and released a drawn out sigh. I just couldn't think of anyone besides her. She was just lingering on my mind and it was depressing the hell out of me. But, I sort've figured out a way for the pair of us to start talking again. It basically involved me apologising for doing what I did and propose the idea of just going back to being friends. It may not be what I truly wanted, what it was certainly a more preferable choice than avoiding one another until one of us dies of old age. Whatever it would take to get her back...I would do it. As my eyes returned to the sky once more, I just sat in silence for another short while until I suddenly heard the sound of someone approaching behind me. My eyes rolled in their sockets as I believe it to be Crane and Viper. Probably here in another attempt to cheer me up in any way they could.

"Look, guys, I appreciate you trying to help, but there's nothing you can do." I spoke aloud without turning to greet them. But the voice that spoke back not only caused my eyes to widened, but also made me gasp in shock.

"Hello, Ben." A familiar voice spoke in such a soft tone. No...it couldn't be..could it? I sat up from the tree truck and slowly turned my head and as it turned around completely, I was beyond shocked to find who was there.

"T-t...Ti...?" I muttered. Yes...it was her. She stood facing me with one paw placed over the other and held a neutral expression. I quickly scurried to my feet and faced her with a bemused expression. "Ti? What...what are you doing here?" I asked. I watched as the feline inhaled deeply before slowly approaching me. She stopped a few feet away from my and rested her paws by her side.

"I've come to...talk to you about...everything." She explained. I took a step forward and stopped her from speaking for I wished to get something off my chest.

"Before you say anything, I just want apologise for putting in an uncomfortable position two weeks ago. I just-" I cut off mid-sentence for Tigress raised her paw to earn my silence.

"Ben...please just listen to what I have to say." She said. Instead of offering a verbal response I just nodded and allowed her to speak. "Ben...I'm deeply sorry for leaving abruptly after your confession and also for avoiding you these past two weeks. But the main reason I am here is to explain why I did it. For the time...you and I have been together, it has been...wonderful, immensely so. Never in my life have I had someone I held so close and who was so dear to me. You've literally changed who I am simply by being yourself. Even when I treated you horribly the first week you arrive here...you still wanted to be my friend. And even when I allowed my anger to get out of control and I take out on you...you still remained by my side. And it's because of your...kindness, honestly and all round caring nature that...made me develop feelings for you. But...these feelings were so alien to me, that I was just unable to make sense of what to do with them. So for months I just kept contemplating what course of action I should take on our relationship. And I couldn't find an answer. I mean, I was uncertain as to whether or not you felt the same way. So when you told me that...you loved me, I was shocked. It was only then I truly knew how much I meant to you and the entire scene made me panic. I was just frightened that I would make the wrong choice for this was something I had never faced before. So I left you for I was uncertain whether to return your feelings or turn them away. And it was only today that I decided I needed help making sense of all this. So I told my father about the situation and he made it clear to me that emotional matters might not always have a clear distinction of what was the right or wrong choice. He told me that I should take the answer my heart has given me and pick the decision that felt right." Throughout Tigress's speech, my eyes were widened and I felt unable to get a single word out. To hear all of his come out of her mouth felt...overwhelming. I guess I know how she felt when I was confessing my feelings to her.

"And...w-what is the...right decision?" I asked. Tigress smiled as she took another step forward and raised both her paws towards me. She slowly reached out and I shuddered when she placed then on my cheeks.

" _You_..." She whispered, "you are the right choice. You are someone I would protect with my life. You are someone who has treated me with kindness since you first introduced yourself to me. You...are my everything..." She whispered once more. I felt...emotional to hear her tell me that. I was just so...touched.

" _Ti_..." Was all that escaped my mouth as I reached up to one her paws and held it tightly.

"To reciprocate what you said to me two weeks ago..." She leaned closer to me and whispered her final words.

...

" _I love you too_..."

...

My heart pounded violently in my chest and I felt completely immobilised. She...s-she just said...she _loved_ me too. She...just said it. Oh...my...god...I couldn't even describe how I was feeling right now. I mean, is there an emotion that goes beyond bliss? Well I was feeling it right now. And this entire time I just stared quietly into the beautiful felines eyes as they stared back at me. I...I guess I should do something right now. Maybe something to seal this bond between us. Maybe...a kiss. Yes, that's...that's what I was going to do. Okay...here goes nothing. I ever so slowly began to push my head towards here while her paws remained on my cheeks. She seemed to noticed what I was doing and my heart started to beat much quicker when I saw her mimicking my advance.

And I knew this time...nothing was going to interrupt us...

The distance between our faces reduced with every passing second. My eyes started to slowly close as did hers. Inch by inch, we slowly made our way towards each other until finally I felt the heat of her breath against my mouth. Then...

 _Our lips met_...

My senses sparked up as her soft lips met my own. The fur surrounding her mouth brushed against the hair surrounding mine. One of my arms wrapped itself around her back and held it tightly while my hand on the other rested at the back of her neck. Her own arms slipped from my face and wrapped themselves around my neck. I pushed my body against hers while she did the same. The kiss we shared...was so _strong_ and _vehement_. And neither on of us pulled away. Instead we just pushed our lips together harder in attempt to augment to passion that it already processed. And it seemed to have work. I heard a small moan escape the feline while I released a grunt. The entire time, we breathed through our noses, but it wasn't enough. I had to, regrettable, come up for some air. I pulled from the kiss and started to breath heavily through my mouth. I was surprised to find Tigress doing the same. We just stared into each others us until I had finally caught my breath and smiled. She released one of her own as I pushed my nose against hers with my arms wrapped around her tightly and vice versa.

" _I love you, Ti_..." I whispered.

" _I love you too, Ben._.." She whispered.

And from there, the two of us sat down by the peach tree in each others arms and watched the night sky together. And I felt...so happy. Not just because everything turned out how I wanted it to, but because...

 _It was even better than I imagined_

 _(And there we go ladies and gentlmen, Ben and Tigress are finally together. And with that chapter over and done with, I can finally move onto the holiday chapters! That'll be fun to do. As for now, all I ask is for you to leave a review and tell me what you think about it these two characters finally being together. Also, on an off note, Long262, if you're reading this, I'll have you know I'm offended. Not at your review but at the fact that I tried messaging you in order for us to discuss why you dislike my story. Instead of responding to me in a maturely manner, you choose to ignore me, despite me telling you that I only wanted to hear your opinion. Well, unfortunatly, my respect for you is long gone. I ask that you don't return to my story and leave further reviews. Which you was probably what you were going to do anyway because you don't even like this story. (Yet if you continued to read this and left negative reviews, you'd just make yourself look like a retarded douche.) Well, with that out of the way, I abid you all ado."_


	66. Chapter 66

_Chapter 66: heated kitchen_

It had been exactly two months since Ti and I had...become a couple. Heh, just saying that makes giggle like a schoolgirl. I mean, I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that me and her were together. And being with her for these past two months have probably been to most happiest and memorable moments in my entire life. I would wake up every morning to greet Master Shifu and it was shortly followed by a passionate kiss with my...heh, girlfriend. We spent almost every moment with each other, watching the night sky, playing checkers and of course there was the kissing. My, ahem, most favourite part. Well, one of my most favourite parts. The other would be just the fact that I have such a beautiful and wonderful women to say 'I love you' to everyday. The others reactions to our relationship were quite predictable. Well, not all. Viper and Crane congratulated us both for finally getting together, and we were grateful for their support. As for the three amigos...they were certainly shocked to hear about it. Mantis and Monkey just spewed on about how something like this could have been kept under their noses for so long. But in the end, they accepted it. Now Po on the other hand...his reaction wasn't one I had expected to happen. Although he shared a shocked expression with Monkey and Mantis, he, surprisingly, was a little overjoyed to hear that we had gotten together. He gushed on about how awesome it was to see Ti and I together, almost making it seem like he wanted it to happen. His overexcited response was sure as hell shock to Ti and I, but his support was most welcome. Now onto...Shifu's reaction. I admit, telling him about me and Ti scared the crap out of me. I mean, I was now with his daughter, his reaction could've gone either way. But Ti assured me everything would be fine. And surprisingly...it did. He expressed his approval openly and even congratulated us both. And boy that was a load off my mind.

But, I believe I'm babbling on too much, to basically sum up how it's been these last two months, it has been...magical. Anyway, to try and not gush any further about my relationship with my girlfriend, I should focus on the big news. That being, that today was the fricking Winter Feast was tonight! And for those who were wondering what this celebration is, it's basically an annual celebration that takes place...well, at the same time as Christmas. And it shares many traits of Christmas too, such as the gathering of family and friends. But the main reason from the celebration is the celebrate the coming of cold weather. So it does share the qualities of Christmas...minus Jesus and well...almost everything it stands for. But hey, whatever it was we were celebrating, as long as I'm with those who are close to me, I'll be fine with it. Though I must admit, hearing exactly what kind of feast we were going to have at the palace...sounded kind've, well...suckish. It was laid out as a very formal feast amongst other Kung Fu masters from the other provinces. The idea of sharing a feast with these other masters sounded like such an honour but...formal events weren't really my style. I like a more lively event with some music and dancing, not sitting around making sure that my table manners are spit spot. But, it was clear I was required to attend this feast, so I guess it's my duty to make an effort. But as of now, I had to prepare.

This morning I had woken up exceptionally early for I needed to head down to Ling's shop to pick up a new attire for the feast tonight. The guys on the other hand would be doing their own things today for they already and their own attire to wear. As for Tigress, I hoped she didn't insist on coming with me down to The Valley. And the reason why, is because I was going to collect something else too. Which was a little gift I was getting for her. What is it you might ask? Well, you'll find out once I give it to her after the feast. As for now, I just focused on what was happening. Like I said, at the moment I had just woken up early and I was limbering up from a wonderful nights rest. Once my morning stretches were out of the way, I left my room in a quiet manner so I wouldn't disturb the others who were still asleep. I crept down the hall and made it outside without producing a single sound. Once I was outside, oh dear me, I was in for small surprise. That being, Jesus of Almighty it was cold as hell. And I hated it. I never liked the winter, it was just always to goddamn cold. The only thing I did like about it was the gorgeous snow that covered everything in its path which I'm sure you agree with me. I mean, who doesn't like snow? But really that's the only think I liked that came with cold weather. Everything else that came with it did nothing but freeze my ass off. And on my way to the kitchen, I had my arms wrapped around myself in a poor attempt to keep myself warm. But thankfully I reached the kitchen before I got turned into a snowman. Yet the temperature inside hardly differed yet it was certainly more preferable than being outside. First thing to do today is get some breakfast. I wasn't exactly the best cook but there was plenty of ways to suffice my hunger. I could probably make due with some dumplings or a banana or two. Yeah, I suppose that'll do. After all, I would be heading our soon anyway and I hope to get our before Tigress showed up. I started to search through the pantries for something to eat and I found a couple of dumplings tucked away as well as some fruit in a bowl. I suppose I could make do with a couple of dumplings, it should be enough until tonight's feast. I grabbed as much dumplings as I could before taking the seat that faced away from the door. I set my my dumplings onto the table and started to eat one by one while thinking about what today has in store. The first thought that ran through my mind was what attire Ling had made for me. All she told me was that she had crafted something special for me and spoke nothing more about it, like it was taboo or something. Nevertheless, I was intrigued to find out what it was. The next thought was a little off topic. Is about Jian and Kai. The two were a little under pressure considering Jian was in her ninth month of pregnancy. Apparently her doctor said she would due next week, placing the two on high alert to be prepared for the birth of the child. I couldn't imagine what it would be. My bets on a girl. Well, the next thought was about...Tigress's present. To try not give anything away, the only thing I can tell you about it is that it's something I'm sure she'll love. After all, she really deserves it for making my life so much better. I just hope she doesn't wake up and insist on coming with me, I really don't want her present to be spoilt. I just wanted to really surprise her and...and huh?

I suppose I was a little lost in thought there because I was completely oblivious to...something that just wrapped itself over my shoulders and locked around my chest. It was shortly followed by something else being placed on my head. And that was followed by...purring. I smiled and chuckled inwardly before looking down and, unsurprisingly, found a pair of furry, orange and black striped arms wrapped around me.

"Good morning, my love." A familiar feline greeted as she placed a kiss on my head. In response, I grabbed one of her paws and kissed it before craning my head back. And when it was craned back as far as it could go, I was introduced to the sight of a beautiful feline who stared down at me with a massive smile.

"Good morning to you too, kitten." I greeted back. That's right, I called her kitten. And only **I** may do so.

"You weren't there this morning to greet me with a kiss." She noted. I smiled and started to stroke her paw gently with my thumb.

"Yeah, sorry, I just thought I should get up early considering I gotta head down to Ling's. After all, we got a big day ahead of us and I want to as prepared as possible." I explained.

"You didn't need to wake up so early just for that, there would have been plenty of time to get your new attire and enough time to do everything else." She said. Man, I wish I could tell her the reason I woke up so early was to leave before she could ask to come with me. But I just had to keep her present a secret, so I attempted to mask the truth.

"Well...I guess I also got up early because I...would have gotten the attire thing done and dusted so I could spend more time with you." I spoke with goofy smile. Her expression told em that she was wasn't really buying the story but thankfully she seemed to have let it slip, much to my relief.

"That's very kind of you, I'd love to spend the day with you. As for now, I'll prepare myself some breakfast and join you on your trip down to Ling's." She said as she pulled her arms away from me and approached the stove. Well that's nice of her to-wait what?!

"Wait, what was that last part?" I asked, just to confirm I wasn't hearing things. Tigress turned back to me with a smile.

"I said I would like to join you on your trip down to Ling's shop." She reiterated. Oh crap, if she comes with me, that'll make collecting her present a serious challenge. I could head back down later and get it, but I would be busy with preparations for the feast.

"You can't!" I spewed out loudly. Her smiled dropped and she became confused.

"Why is that?" My mind drew a blank due to my idiotic impulse to speak without thinking. Quick brain, think.

"Uh...well, because...it might be boring. I mean, I'm only going to cget some clothes, that can't be worth the trip, right?" I replied.

"Nonsense, I would love to accompany you. Besides, I wish to be the first to see you in your new clothes." She said. I tried to think of anyway to convince her not to go but...as I stared into her eyes and saw her cute smile I just...I couldn't say no. I sighed in defeat but smiled.

"Yeah okay, I'd love your company." I said.

"Thank you. Just allow me to prepare myself breakfast and we can leave." I nodded as she began to cook herself to eat. And what she was preparing was her signature tofu cubes. I don't see what was appetising about something that only a mouse would eat. But it was her favourite meal, so who was I to judge. It just makes you think, you know? Like how she eats nothing more than than tiny cubes yet manages to keep a...beautiful figure. I mean, look at her! One would think that if anyone had a diet the equivalent of an anorexic patient they would look less...perfect. And really, that was the only way I could describe my girl. Perfect. She just had a wonderful figure and every other part of her was beautiful too. And as I stared dreamily at her while she stirred her tofu in a pan, a little...bold idea came to mind. A sly grin spread across my face as I stood up and slowly approached the feline. Once I was positioned behind her, I allowed my hands to slithered past her sides and secure themselves around her abdomen. My advance was shortly noticed by the feline who began to purr upon my touch.

"You know..." I said as I pulled her closer while resting my head onto her shoulder and commencing the stroking of her abdomen. "I didn't give you your morning kiss..." I noted as I placed soft kisses against her neck. Ti used one paw to pull the pan off stove, so as not to set it on fire, while she reached up with her other paw and started to stroke the top of my head while also giving a light tug onto it each time a placed a kiss on her neck.

"That's right...you didn't..." She hummed happily. I pulled my lips away and gathered her paws into my hands so as to turn her to me. Once she was facing me I held on paw and started to stroke the cheek sight he other.

"Well, to make up for that, I would like to...try something new..." I said. Tigress seemed interested to her my proposition for her offered a grin of her own.

"Oh? And what would that be?" She questioned. I drew the hand from her face and gathered her other paw with it.

"You know how we've been just stuck to regular kissing these last two months?" I asked. She nodded in response. "Well, I was wondering if we could...try kissing but while doing it we would...use our tongues." I proposed. Maybe it seemed like an odd suggestion when I said it aloud but hey, couples always wanna try new things and this was mine. Don't judge me. Tigress herself seemed intrigued to try experimenting but it was clear she needed to question my request.

"Tongues?" She repeated. I shrugged with a grin. "You are of course referring to the the muscular organ in our mouths?" She asked.

"Aw come on, it's not weird. I've heard about couples doing it before. And they say its pretty sweet. I just thought you might like to try it. After all...how else I'm I suppose to make up for not giving you your morning kiss?" I pouted while trying to dilate my pupils. She just rolled her eyes and slightly nodded.

"Alright, I suppose it would do no harm to try something new. But how do we prepare for this." She asked.

"Simple, we just start off with a kiss, part our lips then let our tongues do the work." I explained.

"Then lets begin." She said. I nodded while placing my hands onto her sides and allowing her to throw hers around my neck.

"Okay, here. We. Go." I spoke as I pushed my head towards hers as she did the same. Once our heads were a short distance apart, our lips took the lead. I shut my eyes and felt my senses spite up upon the meeting of our lips. The sweet taste of her lips seemed to get better each time we kissed. But this time, my tongue was going for a taste. After our lips had met, they parted and ever so slowly our tongues gained entrance to each others mouths. And...goddamn, this was certainly an experience. The feeling of having her tongue wrestle my own while exploring my mouth and vice versa, was just...incredible. This truly was something for the senses. Her hot breath and wet mouth really got me heated during this kiss for I slowly lost myself into it. My arms slipped from her sides and wrapped around her back, and I began to run my hands up and down it with quick movements. And even Tigress herself seemed to be giving into the kiss. Her paws ran wildly through my hair while gripping it roughly. And this whole heated session finally made me crack and caused me to give in to my animalistic side. I placed my hands under her thighs and lifted her into the air before sitting her onto the empty counter next to the stove. And through my quick advance, our lips were forced apart leaving the pair of us panting.

"Ben..we...we...should-" Before she could get another word out, I immediately silenced her by pushing our lips back together as well as forcing my tongue back into her mouth. Instead of pushing me away from my rather forceful approach, she wrapped her arms back around my neck with the addition of her legs being wrapped me as well before slipping her own tongue back into my mouth. Good god, why haven't we tried this before. Admittedly, our basic kissing sessions often got our of hand, but this...this was awesome! But could you really blame us for getting a little overzealous? We were in love! And this particular kiss overwhelmed us due to its fervour nature. But alas, the breath a drew through my nose didn't suffice to keep me conscious. I guess oxygen is more important than wrestling tongues. I pulled from the overheated kiss and started to pant. My eyes droopily opened and I saw Ti stare back at me with a drugged expression and rosy cheeks. I smiled as started to stroke her cheek.

"Well...?" I questioned. Ti managed to regain her composure and smiled.

"I suppose it suffices as an apology." She replied. I chuckled as I playfully bit down on her nose. Once I heard her sweet laughter, I pushed my forehead against hers and enjoyed this beautiful moment which nothing could-

"Hey, hey." A voiced chimed.

I spoke too soon.

I gazed over my shoulder and saw both Monkey and Mantis standing by the door, with grins plastered on their faces.

"Guess the stove ain't the only thing getting heated up in here." Mantis quipped causing Monkey to chuckle. Tigress leaped off the counter and straightened her fur while I crossed my arms.

"Hardy harr, Mantis, make all the jokes you want, it doesn't bother me. because I got a beautiful woman to love while you still fornicate with your pillow." I retorted while bringing Tigress into my arms. Monkey covered his mouth to muffle his loud laughter as Mantis opened his mouth to retaliate but failed miserably and slumped in embarrassment. The two headed to the table and soon Crane and Viper soon entered the kitchen too.

"Morning all!" Viper chimed as the avian headed to the table while she headed to the stove.

"Good morning, Viper, are you well this morning?" Tigress asked as she began to eat her tofu with a pair of chopsticks.

"Just great, Tigress, thanks for asking." Viper replied while she began preparing the guys their breakfast. Which was strange considering she usually prepares it with Po, yet, the said panda was absent.

"Hey, where's Po? He sleep in again?" I asked.

"You didn't know? He spent the night down at his dads shop. He said that he always spends the holiday with his dad so is imagine he slept over to get an early start with him." Crane explained.

"Yeah, and while he's spending time with his dad, we'll all be preparing for tonight, which I might add is gonna be awesome." Mantis said.

"It certainly will be and we have the honour of hosting it again." Viper added.

"Honour of hosting? I was thinking more about the food, that's the awesome part." Mantis licked his lips as we all chuckled. Well, I believed I've wasted enough time here, I better start preparing myself.

"Well, speaking of preparations, I better head down to Ling's and collect my new clothes. I'll see you all later." I said as Ti and I began to leave the kitchen.

"See you two later!" Viper spoke aloud. And with breakfast out of the way, this was just the first step of today and with many more to come. I just hope it'll be all worth it at this 'formal' feast.

(Hey guys, so as you can see this is but mere one chapter of the holiday chapters, it's taking a little longer than I hoped. I was expecting to finish this set of chapters before the holidays, but that might not be the case. If I don't manage to get them out before the holidays, then I'll just post them after the holidays. But with some luck I might finish them beforehand. Anyway, as always, I ask you to please leave a review an tell me what you thought the chapter. Also, I noticed a few of you wanted to see Ben with Tigress for a while so I hope the kitchen scene gave you what you wanted with plently more love scenes to come.)


	67. Chapter 67

_Chapter 67: new attire and a new host_

Once Ti and I had left the kitchen, we began to make our way down to The Valley. And as we descended down the steps from the palace, the obvious question escaped my mind. I reached out and lightly yanked on her tail to catch her attention. And once I had caught her attention, a sly grin spread across my face.

"Soooo...did you enjoy it?" I asked.

"Enjoy what?" She questioned. Oh like you don't know.

"The kiss!" I spoke, pointing out the obvious. Tigress averted her gaze and tried her hardest not to smile.

"It certainly was...special." She said.

"Special? I thought it was incredible."

"You're actions during it certainly suggests so." I sort've figured the...eh, ahem, rather forceful manner I took during our kiss wouldn't be forgotten so easily.. I suppose I should've had more control on myself.

"Yeah, sorry about that, kitten. I kind've just lost control of myself for a moment."

"There's no need to apologise, I...quite liked it." She said was staring at me with a smile.

"Wait, really?" I asked, clearly surprised to hear her say that.

"Of course, I've never seen you so...assertive. I find it rather attractive." She replied. Once again, I found myself surprised to hear her say this as just gawked at her.

"Really?" I asked. She nodded in response. "Huh...I guess I'll try to be a bit more assertive from now." I said.

"Good. By the way I never got a chance to ask, are you looking forward to tonight?" I wanted to say yes and hide the fact that I wasn't into formal events, but I I couldn't lie to my girl, so it was best to be honest with her.

"Truthfully...not entirely. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's an honour to attend such a feast but...formal events don't exactly do it for me."

"Nonsense, there's plenty there for you to enjoy. The food, your friends and of course...I'll be there with you." She noted as she stopped on the spot. She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck with a smile spreading across. "Won't that be enough for you to enjoy yourself?" I raised a brow.

"I dunno, how exactly are you going to keep me entertained?" I asked. In response, Ti grabbed the back of my head and brought her lips to my own, putting as my force into as she could and...damn it felt nice. But as she pulled away, she surprised me by licking my cheek.

"Will that entertain you tonight?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Probably, we'll have to try it a few more times later just to see." I replied. Ti chuckled while joining her arms with my own.

"Come, we better hurry to Ling's. We don't want to be lollygagging on the palace steps." She said and we continued on our path down to The Valley.

"Alright, lets go." I said as we quickened our pace. And in a short amount of time, we made quite the distance into The Valley. As we walked through the streets that were filled with the sound of people going about their business, I was taken back at the sight of the decorations that were up as well as the snow that covered practically everything. My god, it was just beautiful. And I had the privilege the take it all in. The winter holidays was certainly a wonderful thing. It was clear residents here were putting in as much effort as they could for everyone to enjoy. I suppose that's something I like about winter that isn't snow; togetherness. The fact that a mere holiday can bring all these people together was amazing. And this year, I had people to spend it with as well as, most especially, a woman who I was enamoured for. I can already tell this is gonna be one hell of a holiday. Anyway, back to reality for a moment. At moment, Ti and I had just arrived at Ling's shop. The pair of us entered the store and I began to look around the shop for the leopard. And there she was, standing behind her counter conversing with her girlfriend, Chi. Our presence was soon made aware, for the couple turned to us and smiled.

"Ben, Tigress, so good to see you two and happy holidays!" Ling chimed in her usual cheerful tone. Ti and I approached the counter and smiled at her heartwarming greeting.

"You too, Ling. And a happy holidays to you too , Chi." I greeted back.

"You as well, Ben. So tell us, what brings you here?" Chi asked.

"Just here to collect my new clothing for the feast tonight." I explained.

"Oh of course! I almost forgot, I was caught up discussing our plans for tonight." Ling said. Plan huh?

"You got yourselves a plan for tonight? What are two going to be doing?" I asked.

"We'll be going to Mr Pings tonight, he usually throws a big celebration for the holidays, so it's sure to be fun. I think even Kai and Jian will be attending." Ling explained.

"You think that's wise in Jian's condition?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry, Jian's tough, being pregnant isn't gonna stop her from having fun. But I digress, time to focus the task at hand, which is your new attire. I crafted you a new get which I'm certain you'll love." Ling spoke while reaching for something beneath her counter. She then pulled out a brown package that was held together thread and handed it to me. "Just head into the changing room in the back and try it on." I took the package from her and headed into the back room with the three felines following. I entered the changing room at the end of the room and began to undress. Once I removed my vest, I undid the thread that held the package together and opened it. And what laid before me appeared to me a midnight blue vest and it look...beautiful. I reached down and lifted the vest up to scrutinise it. It was much like my own vest except for two features. That being this vest was missing hood and also the back of the vest exceeded further than the front, it most likely it would rest at the back of my legs. In short, this vest was an incredible design, but it didn't surprise in the least, due to the fact that it was crafted by Ling. I suppose I should try it on now.

I slid my arms into the sleeves of the vest and fastened it on. Once the vest was secured onto me, I had a look at myself in the mirror and well, not to sound ahead of myself, I looked pretty damn good. I turned to get a better view of myself from the side and began to admire the work Ling up into this.

"Have you tried it on yet?" I heard Ti asked from beyond the changing room.

"Just looking at it right now, come in and have a look." I replied while continuing to stare at my reflection. I watched Tigress enter the changing room through the reflection of the mirror and noticed a smile spread across her face. "So, what do you think?" I asked while I turned to face her. She stepped forward and straightened the hem of my new vest before resting her paws on my shoulder.

"You look wonderful." She complemented.

"Handsome would have been a better word to use." Tigress chuckled inwardly before placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"You're always handsome."

"And you're always beautiful." I said placing a kiss on her forehead. "Come on, lets see what Ling and Chi think of the new vest." I said while grabbing her paw and leading her out of the changing room. As I exited the changing room, I saw both Ling and waiting patiently outside to see how I looked. They saw me exit and began to look me over. "Well, ladies, what do you think?" I asked.

"My goodness, you look great! I always seem to work magic." Ling said.

"You certainly do, love. You do look amazing Ben." Chi added.

"Thanks, gals, I suppose I should repackage this up and save it till the feast." I said before returning to the changing room and did just that. Once the transaction for my vest finished, Tigress and I hid the feline couple a farewell and a happy holidays before the pair of us began to head back to the palace. Well, one of will be anyway. Throughout the trip down here, I had contemplated ways to try and get Ti to leave my side so that I may get her gift without her consolation. But, she was crafty and could tell a lie from the truth, so the only idea that came to mind was a simple one that may or not work. So, here goes nothing. As we walked through the streets, I began to put my plan into action.

"So, Ti, you don't mind heading up on your own, do you? It's just that I gotta do something real quick." I asked. She halted on the spot and wore a questionable gaze.

"What is it you need to do?" She asked.

"Just something, it's not even worth mentioning, I just gotta do it real quick and I'll be right back at the palace in no time, alright?" Please don't come, please don't come.

"Well, alright, I'll see you soon." She said. Whew, that was close. I leaned forward and place a quick kiss on her cheek.

"See you soon, babe." I said while waiting for her to leave. She smiled before turning and leaving. I waited for her to disappear from sight before heading towards a certain store I shall not identify so is not to spoil the gift. All you need to know from here is that I picked up the said gift, paid for it and left. I know I'm being very secretive about this gift, but I don't wish to spoil what it is for anyone, especially Tigress. Don't worry, you'll all find out what it is when I give it to my girl. So with the gift collected as well as my new vest, I began to make my way back up to the palace. But to my surprise, I find the palace steps the be occupied with a hell of a lot of people who appeared to be samples of food with them. This is weird as hell I was only in The Valley for about twenty minutes and the steps are crowded with people. There must be something pretty important going on for all these people to be here, I guess I'll soon find out once I reach the palace. As I climb the stairs, the aroma from each persons dish really...made my mouth water. They just smelt so fricking good. Each and every one of them made it difficult to for me to keep going instead of stopping and asking for a taste. But thankfully, I had reached the palace grounds before it came to that. Now I could finally figure out what's going on. On the arena grounds, a couple of ducks and pigs appeared be setting up some sort of table with banners hanging behind it. For what purpose, I was unsure. And among this group of people was...Po? I thought he was spending the day with his dad, what's he doing here. I approached the panda who only grew aware of my presence once I was a few feet away from him and when he saw me approach him, a massive smile spread across his face as he rushed towards me. Uh oh.

"Ben!" He shouted. Oh dear. The big guy gathered me into his arms and embraced me in a tight-ass hug. "Happy holidays, buddy!" I suppose I should cry out due to the lack of oxygen I was receiving right now, but I couldn't help but laugh and hug the big bear back.

"You too, big guy." I reciprocated. He set me back onto the ground, allowing me to breath once more. "What are you doing up here? I thought you were spending the day with your dad." I asked.

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you yet, Shifu told me I would be the one hosting the feast tonight!" He announced. I drew a blank at his words.

"You...are hosting the feast?" I asked just to be certain I heard correctly. He nodded rapidly with a smile. "A feast that's made out to be excessively sophisticated and elegant, almost seemingly demanding perfection?"

"Oh come on, a simple feast is nothing. Trust me, I got this." He assured.

"Well...if you say so. But, what about your dad? Won't he be a little upset that you're not spending the holidays with him?"

"Well, I thought I would have been able to bring him up for the feast, but Shifu said there wasn't any guests aloud. But don't worry, I'm trying to figure out a way to spend the holidays with him as well as fulfil my duty as a host too." He assured.

"Well, if you think you got everything under control, I'll leave you to it."

"Okay, I'll see you later, Ben."

"Yeah, you too buddy." I said while heading to the bunkhouse to store my new vest and gift in my room. Man, Po is hosting the feast, never thought I'd hear that. Hey, maybe he'll liven it up, that'll certainly make it better in my opinion. Well, I can only hope.

(So heres another chapter folks, as most of you can see, it'has little rushed and the reason being is that I really want to get the holiday chapters out before the actual holiday, so I apologise if it seems suckish. Anyway, once again all I ask is for you to leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.)


	68. Chapter 68

_Chapter 68: a panda's predicament_

After departing from the arena, I made a quick trip to the bunkhouse to store my new vest and gift. Once it was done and dusted, I began to search for the others to surprise them with them news that Po, of all people, will be one hosting the feast this year. I still couldn't believe Shifu himself handed the reigns of this entire feast over to Po. He really had that much confidents he could do it? Or was it just a necessity this year for the Dragon Warrior to present to feast? Whatever the reason is, I...have faith in the guy. I know he might be little clumsy and absentminded sometimes, but if he's given a task that revolves around Kung Fu, you can be sure as hell he's gonna do his best. But if things start to overwhelm him, I have no problem in lending a hand. It's what's a friend does. Mmmm...friend. That word ran differently in my mind just then. Come to think of it, ever since I visited Viper's family and spoke to her mother about my friends, the meaning behind the word practically felt like...well, like it was untrue. It was as if I was incorrectly describing my relationship with those I held close. And the only alternate noun I could find and use to describe my current relationship with the guys was...family. Initially, the idea that these people could be considered family was something I believed couldn't be possible considering not a single one of us was related. But...what Ti'an said, that being 'friends are the family we choose for ourselves' really...spoke to me. Perhaps she was correct, maybe they are my family and I've just be referring to them as friends. I mean, with Ti I believed for months that I had a simple crush on her yet the entire time, I was in love with her. Maybe there's a similar set of circumstances between me and the guys. Maybe this entire time when I've been calling then friends, I should have been calling them...family. Maybe, maybe not.

But clearly I've digressed for too long on this matter, I'll save that train of thought for later. As for now, I had located where everyone had been residing this entire time, that being in the left building by the arena. I had never spoken of the buildings before and the reason being was because I have actually only been in the one on he left once, out of mere curiosity. Inside, there was a large room with contained a large round wooden table which was used for formal meals with visitors which would be cooked in another room the kitchen. Unlike our own further up on the palace grounds, this one lacked any food or any stock for that matter. I suppose it was for the obvious reason, which was it would go off due to this kitchen only being used to cook in on formal events. And, as you've already guessed, it was being used for tonight's feast. As far as I know, the building had been stocked up a couple of days ago with supplies that was sent here such as basic decor for the room with the table, cutlery and a lot of plates for the kitchen. So with the new stock, I guess this whole thing was really started to get getting.

Anyway, back on track here. I had entered the building and began to head down a hallway that was to my left, for if my memory severed me, I was heading to the room with the large table. And, I was correct. The room seemed very naked given that we were given decor to make it more appeasing. When if there was one thing that brightened up the room, it was the lone tiger who I only noticed now. She had her back turned to me and was gazing on at the empty room. I smiled and sneakily made my way to her. Once I was right behind her, I wrapped my arms around her chest and kissed the back of her head.

"Hey, baby, I'm back." I said as I hugged her tightly from behind. Once I heard her purring commence, my smiled deepened.

"I noticed. You seemed to have made that abundantly clear." She pushed back against and nestled beneath my chin. I chuckled and began to inform her of the big news.

"You wouldn't believe who's hosting the feast this year."

"Yes, I heard. I'm just as surprised as you, but I have faith in Po, I know he won't let us down."

"Oh, I thought you didn't know, I was gonna surprise you with the news. But now that you do, know I'm glad you've got faith in him."

"Of course I do, he's got a big heart and it hasn't let us down thus far." She noted.

"Yeah, thats true. Anyway, Zeng said that you'd all be here and that I should be here too. What for?" I asked.

"We're being fitted our festival headdresses with the tailor who's in the other room. I've just gotten my measurements finished." She replied. There's another room? I didn't even that.

"Headdresses, huh? I'm not really a hat guy, but if I'm required to wear one, I guess I will." I said.

"I'm glad to hear you're at least putting some effort into something you might find dull."

"Hey, I'm gonna have you to keep my entertained, won't I?" I asked as I playfully nibbled on her ear. This elicited laughter from the feline as she craned to neck to place a kiss on my chin.

"Of course. Although, I must admit, each year I attend the feast, I do find it to be a little dull myself. I wished they would liven it up, even if it is just a little."

"I'm surprised to hear to say that, but it's nice to know you at least can relate to me on the matter. But hey, maybe I can keep you entertained, huh? But only if...you want me to..." I whispered as I began to press firm kisses against her neck, much to her enjoyment. She released a quiet gasp at my advance but it was followed shortly but a relaxing sigh while she stoked the back of my head.

"I would...certainly like that..." She purred. Man, I loved when I was able to please my girl like this, it made my efforts so much worth while. I hope nothing ruins this wonderful moment-yeah, you can already tell something will and just did. While I continued to kiss her neck, the sound of a ranting could be heard emanating from the kitchen. Of course, this immediately caught our attention and we gazed confusingly towards the direction of the kitchen.

"The heck was that?" I asked aloud.

"I'm unsure, we better investigate." Tigress pulled from my grasp and took lead towards the kitchen. As we drew closer towards it, the voice that emitted from within the kitchen became more transparent and I was able to determine who it was. That being...Po? Once Ti and I had actually entered the kitchen, we discovered the panda pacing back and forth with a vexed expression. I also noticed he was carrying two objects each paw. One was a wooden box with golden decor on to while the other item appeared to be an orange sun lantern with what looked like a drawing on it, which I couldn't make out. Ti and I watched silently as he continued to mumble loudly to himself while continuing to pace.

"Po?" Ti spoke aloud. As she made our presence known, Po jumped into the air in shock while expelling a frightened yelp. As his eyes locked with us, he forced a massive smile.

"Oh, hey youhoho two, what, eh, what are you for there...looking at me?" He babbled out.

"What are we doing? What are you doing? You look and sound like your panicking about something, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing, everything's a-ok, that I can assure you." He, so obviously, lied. Ti lifted a finger and pointed to the wooden box.

"Is that the golden ladle?" She asked. Golden ladle? Huh?

"Uh...um, yeah?" Po replied nervously.

"Why do you still have it, I thought you were suppose to select a chef to cook the meals for tonight's feast." Oh, so that's why there was people lining up with food.

"Well, I...I-I kinda..." Po spoke in a hush tone and mumbled his final words.

"You did what?" I asked. Po gulped.

"I kind've sent them all...home." He squeaked. My mouth opened ajar in shock. He sent every single one of them home even though he was suppose to pick one to cook for us tonight?!

"You sent all the cooks home?!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I just...I...I just thought I would be able to get my dad to cook so I could spend the holiday like we always do but be said no and now there's no cook! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed. Ti brought a paw to her face and shook her head.

"This is a disaster, if there's no one to cook then-"

"I can cook!" Po interjected. "I can do it, don't worry."

"Po, you have far too many other duties to do, you cannot cook as well, you'll overwhelm yourself! Let us help you." Ti insisted.

"No, no, no, I got this, I swear, I just got off on a rocky start but I swear I'll make this work." He assured.

"Po, please, you'll exhaust yourself so much, you won't even be able stand on two feet, let us help you." Ti insisted once more.

"Yeah, buddy, come on, just let us give you a hand with a thing or two." I said.

"Guys, please, give me a chance! I can do this, I know I can." He begged. I turned to Ti and saw she clearly didn't want him to do all this on his own and neither did I. But, it was clear he was hellbent on trying to do it on his own, so I guess we should give him a chance.

"Alright, Po...if you think you got this, then to ahead." I said.

"But promise us this, if you find yourself unable to do everything, please just ask for our help." Ti added.

"I will, thanks guys, I won't let you down. Now if you'll excuse me I got to craft a dragon out of ice. See ya!" He shouted over his shoulder as he left in a hurry. A dragon out of ice?! Jesus Christ.

"You know he's gonna crack, right?" I questioned.

"I do. But I believe it's best for him to learn his lesson. Come, we better get you fitted for your headdress." She said leaving the kitchen with me following behind. Good lord, Po looked under pressure back there. And I can obviously see why. Not only has got to host this feast but he has to sacrifice spending the holidays with his dad to do so. Poor guy, I really hope he just drops his pride and asks for help soon. But, until then all I can do is wait until he does. Well, time to see how ridiculous I look in my headdress.

So basically, for a large portion of the day, me and the guys spent our time preparing for tonight. So, I was certainly kept busy over the next few hours. I'd rather not describe the headdress I would be wearing because, to be honest, it looked like something a maniac would wear on a killing spree. Yup, it's that weird. But what I can get into was what Po was up to. For hours a watched as he darted from one task to the other and every time I saw him, he began to look more frustrated and under pressure. Even though he said he had everything under control, I continued to offer my help, which he always turned away. Although we gave him a chance to get things under control, it was very clear he wasn't going to achieve this. And despite me telling him that, he continued to fool himself into believing that he could, until now.

As the early afternoon dawned upon us, I was making my way down to the building were the feast was being held to check and see it Po was there. I had finally drawn the last straw and planned to put my foot down. I was going to tell it to him straight that I was gonna help him whether he liked it or not. So as I closed in on the building, imagine my shock when I found fricking smoke emanating from within!

"Sweet Jesus!" I exclaimed before breaking out into a sprint towards the building. Once I was inside, I followed the source of the smoke and narrowed it down to the kitchen. I searched with haste to found what was causing the smoke. It seemed to be something into a pot that was just recently extinguished. It was only then I realised a certain panda was here and I could only assume he caused this. He had his head against the counter and paws covering it. I approached him while swatting the smoke from the air.

"Po, what the hell happened?" I asked.

"I...I tried to cook..." He mumbled out.

"Well, that clearly didn't go well, did it? Jesus, Po, I told you that you couldn't handle all this on your own."

"I know..." He mumbled once more. I sighed a resting against the counter next to him.

"So why did you do?" I asked. He finally lifted his head from the counter and stared at me with a frown, finally ready to give me the reason.

"I just...didn't want to disappoint you, or the guys or Shifu. I thought that if I could do, like, an elegant and sophisticated feast that maybe you guys would be proud of me. I mean, you know that stuff isn't my thing, so I figured if I pulled it off everyone would be really proud. But now...now I'm gonna disappoint you, the guys, Shifu...and my dad..." He lowered his head and shut his eyes. The big dope. He did all this to try and impress us? He practically pushed all this pressure on himself just to we would be proud of him? I smiled and patted his back.

"Po, you doofus, we're always proud of you. Just because you can't pull an elegant and sophisticated style doesn't make us think any less of you." He turned her eyes back to me.

"Really?"

"Of course, we love you for you, buddy." I said with a chuckle. My kind words certainly touched the panda, for he embraced me once again in another head hug. I huffed loudly as I laughed once more and hugged him back.

"Thanks, Ben." He said lowering me to the ground.

"No problem, Po. Now, I believe we better get things back on track here." I noted. He began to rub the back of his neck while overlooking the mess in the kitchen.

"Yeah...I could really use some help."

"No kidding. Look, you clean up in here and I'll get the others to come help, okay?" He nodded in response.

"Yeah, okay." He said. I turned and began to leave. "Man it feels good to have a family watch over you."

...

I immediately froze on the spot upon hearing that word being uttered. Did he just call us...family? I turned back to Po who wore a happy smile.

"Po...did you just refer to us as... _family_?" I questioned. He nodded rapidly.

"Yup." He replied.

"So you see us as family? Even...even _me_?" I questioned once more.

"Well, yeah, I mean, we've all been through a lot and we all love each other, and we all care for each other like a family. Why? Is it...is it weird when I call you guys that?" He asked with a hint of nervousness in his tone. I stood quietly for a moment before smiling.

"No, not at all." I replied before leaving to go found the others. Heh, looks like I wasn't the only one who thought 'friend' was the wrong word to describe our relationships with each other. But it was clear it Po's case, he already knew what to call us. And being the fact that he directly referred to me as family was...such an incredible feeling. But hey, I'm getting off track here. The feast is top priority, thoughts are second. Once I had gathered everyone together, I explained the situation and all of this were quick into various tasks. Viper had joined Po in the kitchen and began to prepare one hell of a feast whole the rest of us fix up the room we would be dining in. We hung up lanterns, set out plates, chopsticks, bowls and one big-ass dragon sculptor crafted from ice. And the time taken to do so was long, but it was worth it. We all stood beside one another, admiring our work. We just began to make a quick check list on everything.

"Chopsticks?" Viper questioned.

"Check." I said.

"Bowls and plates?" Crane questioned.

"Check." Ti said.

"One big-ass meal?" Mantis asked licking his lips while gawking at the meal laid before us.

"Oh, yeah, it's there." Monkey drooled.

"So that's everything, we got everything! We did it guys we did it!" Po cheered. We all joined his little celebration with all round high fives. But throughout the celebration, Ti noticed something was amiss.

"Wait, Po, isn't the jasmine suppose to be-"

"Oh no, it's suppose to be flaked!" Po exclaimed as he gather the jasmine into his grasp. "I'll hurry and get it changed as fast I can!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Make it real quick, Po. The other masters will be coming soon!" Mantis shouted back.

"Alright, while that's being taken care of we better change into our attire for the feast." Crane suggested. We nodded in agreement and quickly made our way to the bunkhouse and hastily began to change attire. Once that was done, we all began to head back while nothing but the feast clouded out minds.

(So here's another chapter, folks! With how things are going, I actually just might get this done before he holidays, with any luck of course. But as for now, all I ask is for you to leave and review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.)


	69. Chapter 69

**Hey guys, sorry but I wasn't able to get the chapter up before the holiday, so I'll try getting it out before January at least. So for now, Happy holidays and a happy memorial day as well from your fellow author, kristonalprime23 and have a good one.**


	70. Chapter 70

_Chapter 70: happy holidays_

With one quick trip to the bunkhouse and a change of attire, we all hurried back to where the feast was being held and readied ourselves for the arrival of all the masters. Inside the building, Shifu was waiting for us and questioned where was both Po and the flaked jasmine. Luckily before he could anything got out of hand, Po had returned before the masters arrived, much to our relief. But upon his return, his mood certainly seemed to have...shifted. To be more specific, he appeared to be saddened by something. What could have brought that upon him in such a short amount of time? Unfortunately, I had no time to ask what was up, for the feast we were all preparing for had finally began. Each master had taken their seats, as well as ourselves and we all started to settle in. So far, it's as much as I predicted. It's feels very void, quiet and...well, dull. I mean, there was no music, games or anything to peak my interest. The list could continue, but I'm certain you get the point. I gazed around the table and began to scrutinise each of the masters. To try not to babble on about each individual one, I can quickly say that each one had come from their own Kung Fu school and each one was a different animal. I sighed and prepared for the boredom. But before I could make said preparations, I felt something soft place itself upon my idle hand that rested on the table. I turned and could only smile to find Ti smiling back with her paw resting on my hand. I suppose it won't be that dull.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm good. I'd probably be worse if I wasn't next to you." I replied.

"I'm glad I can be of service." I chuckled lightly as I brought her paw to my mouth a kissed it.

"Thanks, kitten, you're the best." I said. The table suddenly fell silent due to the tapping of a glass. All eyes turned to Shifu who had called for everyone's silence. He smiled and looked around the table.

"I wish to express my gratitude for you all coming here to celebrate the feast and to uphold our traditions. With that said, I would like us to begin with the reciting of the opening words to the Creed of Masters. Dragon Warrior, would you do us the honour of doing so?" Shifu asked. I gazed past my master and my eyes locked with Po. I had expected him to stand up and recite this words, but instead, he remained slumped down in his chair while staring blankly at the orange lantern he had earlier. Come to think of it, I hadn't actually found out what was drawn on it yet. It must have be something important to him if he brought it with him and allowed it to distract him. His silence to Shifu's request cause everyone at the table to gaze at one another with confused expressions.

"Po...Po?" Shifu spoke trying to catch his attention. The panda's eyes fell upon his master and a sigh escaped his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Shifu, I can't..." I whispered.

"Is something wrong?" Shifu asked in a whisper.

"No, no, it's just...I don't believe I'm doing the right thing here." Po replied while standing up. "Uh, everyone, I'd like to say something. I, um, I just wanna say it's a huge honour, not just to be attending this feast but to be hosting it. I mean, that's just so awesome and I'm just still amazed that I'm the one hosting it. But...every year, I spend the holidays with my dad in his shop. We cook for all our neighbours and everyone starts having a lot of fun, and some musicians come in, and everybody starts dancing, and it's...it" target="_blank"s...it's just...great. And this year, I kinda feel like I'm...betraying my dad for not being there with him. So, I'd like to stay here and do my duty as the Dragon Warrior." Po removed the black cloak he was wearing and handed it to a Shifu who stared at him with a perplexed expression. "But...I think I gotta to and go and do my duty as a son." With that said, Po just took off leaving the entire room filled with confusion.

"Uh...what just happened?" Crane asked.

"I think Po just destroyed the feast." Mantis replied.

"So...what do we do now?" Monkey asked. While the others spoke on about what had just occurred, my ears fell deaf as my eyes locked with the orange lantern Po had left behind. I reached over and grabbed it. Once is was in my grasp, I finally was able to see what was drawn onto it. And what was it you ask? It appeared to be a drawing that Po must've drawn when he was just a kid. It was a picture of him next to his dad. Mmmm...this must've have meant a great deal to him if he kept it all these years. Just as...his dad must've made a great deal to him if was willing to throw away all his work into this feast, just to spend the holiday with him. But then again...you would do anything to be with your family, wouldn't you? But there's just one problem.

The rest of his family...and mine weren't with him.

That's right, I couldn't keep fooling myself, I loved these people. That snake and avian who helped me out so much since I had arrived here, the monkey and mantis who lightened the mood with there crude but warmhearted nature, and...and that beautiful tiger who I loved with the depths of my heart...were my family. And why has it taken me so long to figure that out? Because I'm a stubborn fool, that's why. And I wanted our family to be together tonight.

"Guys?" I spoke up, catching my...family's attention. They hushed up with their conversation and focused on me. "I don't think this feast is ruined...it's only just beginning."

"Huh? What the heck does that mean?" Monkey questioned.

"I mean, there's a feast on right now and a member of our family is there without us to celebrate it with him." I replied. They all exchanged confused glances before returning their eyes to me.

"Family? You mean Po?" Mantis asked.

"Not just Po, all of us. We've always been family, I just haven't noticed until now. And I'm...so happy I can call you guys that. Because I fricking love you guys." I replied offering each one of them a smile. They all remained silent for a moment before a saw a smile spread across each of their faces.

"Yeah, you're right, we are a family." Crane said.

"Damn straight, and we've got a feast to celebrate with the big guy. You guys in?" I asked.

"Hell yeah." Mantis spoke while leaping onto Monkey's shoulder.

"I'm in." Monkey said.

"Us too." Viper said joining Crane by his side.

"I'm with you." Ti said. I gave a quick nod and picked up Po's lantern.

"Then lets go." I spoke as I rose from my seat and left with my family, leaving the other masters and our own. We quickened are pace in order to get to Mr Pings fast so that we could celebrate as a family under one roof. I am beyond words at this point. This is the first winter holiday a got to spend with people I love since my mother passed away. All those years of spending it alone were completely over. And not only do I get to spend it with people I love, I was going to spend it again and again with them for a long time. But for now, time to focus on the feast that was occurring at the moment. As the six of us neared Mr Ping's, the sound of laughter and music emanated from within. And as we stood by the archway that led into Mr Ping's shop, we watched as the shop had become lively with people and a small band that played some wonderful music. At the far end of the shop, stood Mr Ping and his son, who each carried a tray with bowls of noodles on it. A smile spread across my face and the six of us entered the shop.

"Hey, Po." I greeted. My voice immediately caught his attention, which turned to us, causing the panda to gasp in surprise.

"Guys? You're here!" He exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Of course, we wanted to spend the winter feast with our family." Viper said.

"Thanks, you guys. Here, take a bowl of noodles, sit down and enjoy yourselves!" Po said. He held out his tray and one by one, the guys took a bowl of noodles each before sitting themselves onto seat by a table. Finally, one bowl remained and Po handed it to me, but before I took it, I held out his lantern which he gazed upon with question.

"Here, Po, you forgot this." I said. He reached out and took it with smile.

"How could have I forgotten this? Thanks, Ben."

"If anyone should be thanked, it should be you." I said. He raised a brow in confusion.

"Thank me? What for?" He asked.

"For giving me the final push to realise that you and those guys are my family. I was so blind to the truth but now, after hearing that you refer to us family, it helped me realise that we were a family. In short, thanks and happy holidays...brother." His eyes widened upon hearing that final word and I don't blame him. He response, he set down his lantern and bowl of noodles on a nearby. And I had once again had fallen prey to his best hug, to which of course a returned immediately. It was broken shortly afterwards.

"Go on, go enjoy yourself." He said. I picked up the bowl of noodles and joined the others by the table. As I sat down, I began to gaze around the shop at the many joyful customers. Each one were talking, laughing and having a wonderful time. Needless to say, it was certainly a sight to witness. And I'm positive this'll be a large step up from the formal feast. Now, I can actually have fun. As I continued to gaze around the shop, my eyes set upon the entrance of the shop and I surprised to see the masters from the other provinces. They abandoned the feast to come here? I guess they wanted a taste of something that wasn't formal. That's pretty awesome. Their presence was noticed almost immediately and it would seem a lot of people recognised them and bowed in respect as well as welcoming them. They returned the hospitality and began to mingle amongst the crowd. There was one I noticed was off though. That being the absence of Shifu. I figured he would be ticked off for the stunt Po just did and come down here to scold him. Perhaps he'll wait for Po to return to the palace to do so. Or maybe...he's outside the shop. And indeed he was. While the others were busy conversing, I seemed to be the only one to notice Shifu standing outside the shop. I had expected to appear furious considering what Po did, but, strangely he held a neutral expression while also seeming...amazed at the entire scene that laid before him. His eyes took in everything that unfolded in the shop and it actually made him smile. I suppose seeing the villagers as well as he students enjoy themselves in such wonderful feast touched a soft spot in his heart. Needless to say, it was great to see. I had hoped he would come in and join us, after all, he shouldn't be left to celebrate the holidays on his own. But instead, he seemed to be leaving. Before I could think or act, I felt a nudge against my arm, to which I turned to find it was Po who nudged me. He pointed to the front of the shop where Shifu once stood.

"Was that Shifu?" Po asked. I nodded before replying.

"Yeah and he looked like he just took off too."

"Well, I better catch him before he heads up to the palace. He shouldn't be left alone, especially on the holidays!" Po said as he left the shop in a hurry to catch up with Shifu.

"Where's Po off to?" I heard Tigress ask. I turned to her before answering.

"He just spotted Shifu outside the shop and went after him to try and get him to join us." I replied.

"I hope he does join us. After having something as important as the Winter Feast ruined for him, he certainly doesn't deserve to spend the rest of the holiday alone at the Jade Palace."

"Agreed. I'm certain he won't say no. I mean...look at all this." I spoke with a smile, taking another look around the shop and watched people enjoy themselves.

"It certainly is a wonderful sight to behold." Tigress noted.

"Would it be too much trouble to ask for a dance later?" I asked. Tigress smile before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Of course not, I'd love to." I placed my hand over her idle paw and smiled.

"Good to know."

"Hey guys, look who's here!" I heard Po announce, causing us all the turn towards him. Beside the returning panda, was Shifu.

"Master Shifu is here!" A voice spoke loud enough to be heard over the mass crowd of conversations. He was being greeted by each villager once he past them and he happily reciprocated their warm welcome.

"It's good to see you, Master Shifu." Mr Ping greeted.

"Likewise, Mr Ping. I hope I'm not intruding." Shifu greeted back.

"Of course not. There's always room for one more at Mr Ping's. Please, sit and enjoy yourself." Mr Ping insisted.

"Thank you, Mr Ping." Shifu said has he sat beside us along with Po. And with us all together at one table, Feng, the palace artist (who I have forgotten to mention earlier, forgive me) pulled out a small easel and told us all to hold still for the picture he was about to draw. Within seconds, I'm not kidding, drew a magnificent picture of us all together. And with the picture done and with us all finally under own roof, we dwelled into a night of fun and celebration with friends and family. In short, it was goddamn brilliant. Never in my life have I ever had such a wonder time and to spend it with family once again. I was truly; happy. As time past, hours to be exact, the shop started to gradually decrease in numbers. Starting with the masters, then the villagers and finally Master Shifu, who left us to enjoy the rest of the night. So it was just down to me and the guys along with, Kai, Jian, Ling, Chi and ol' Irish...who was passed out due to drinking. What exactly was he drinking? God only knows, I just want to know where he got it from, alcohol isn't even on the menu here.

"Someone certainly enjoyed themselves." Jian said, gesturing to the passed out lynx who drooled who snoozing.

"Didn't we all?" Kai asked. Jian chuckled inwardly before pushing up against her husband.

"We certainly did." She replied.

"Yeah, no kidding. This has been one of the most memorable days of my life." I agreed.

"Indeed. But it's starting to get late. I suppose we should all head home soon." Ling suggested. The rest of us nodded in agreement.

"Well, before you all start to leave, how about another round of noodle soup?" Mr Ping asked from a nearby table he was wiping down. We all kindly declined his offer due to the fact that our bellys being full from earlier.

"No thank you, Mr Ping. As much as I'd love to eat another bowl of your soup, I'm afraid I just can't with these cramps." Jian said while repositioning herself which was followed by a drawn out exhale. And why was she having cramps? Probably because she had about ten bowls of soup beforehand. Man, being pregnant must make you really fricking hungry.

"You should've stayed home. The doctor told you, you should be taking it easy." Kai spoke with concern while taking her paw. Jian merely rolled her eyes.

"It's just cramps, Kai, It's nothing to do with the baby. The doctor said it won't be due for another week or so. Just relax." She assured.

"I'll...I'll try." He promised.

"It's gonna be great day to see a little baby boy being brought into this world. Not only will he have great parents, he's gonna have a lot of aunts and uncles, I'm I right?" I asked. The rest nodded in agreement.

"What makes you so sure it's gonna boy?" Mantis asked. I shrugged.

"I'm just pretty sure it's gonna boy is all." I replied.

"Oh so you're clairvoyant all of a sudden? Naw, it's gonna be a girl a know it." He said.

"Well, it's a fifty/fifty thing here. Neither one of you can be certain." Viper pointed out.

"No, I'm telling you, it's gonna be a girl." Mantis stated.

"And I'm saying it's gonna be a boy." I stated.

"I dunno, I'm with Ben on this one, I'm gonna say its gonna be a boy." Po spoke siding with me.

"No way, it'll be a girl." Monkey said siding with Mantis.

"Are we really doing this?" Viper asked while shaking her head.

"Well, what do you think it'll be?" Mantis asked her.

"If you must know, I believe it'll be a boy, but I'm not going to argue about it. It's merely a guess." Viper replied remaining in a neutral state around the whole thing. Her answer caused Crane to raise a brow.

"You really think it's gonna be a boy? I think it's gonna be a girl." He said. Viper turned to him with a surprised expression.

"What? Of course it's not gonna be a girl, it's so obvious it'll be a boy." So much for not arguing.

"No it won't." Crane retorted.

"Yes it will." Viper retorted back. As a friendly little argument broke out about the gender of a baby, I nudged Tigress and got her attention.

"What do you think it'll be?" I asked her.

"I personally, believe it'll be a boy." She replied.

"So you're on my side, huh?"

"I'm on no ones side. We're just guessing the gender of an unborn child. How it erupted into an argument is beyond me."

"Fun to watch though, right?" I asked. She turned back to our group of friends and family as they were really getting heated up. The entire scene made her shrug.

"Slightly." I chuckled and watch from the sidelines as they all continued to bark at one another. I'm not gonna lie, I was certainly amusing. However, my spectating of a good show ended abruptly due to the sound of something...huffing.

"Love, are you alright?" I heard Kai ask from the opposite side of the table. I turned quickly and I began to see what was up. I saw Kai leaning towards Jian with his paw over hers and Jian...she seemed to be huffing a little hard. I leaned forward.

"Jian, are you ok?" I asked with my voiced raised loud enough to silence everyone else. They all turned their attention towards a heavy breathing jaguar who almost looked like she was in pain.

"I'm fine, just getting a few more cramps, that's all. So don't-" Her sentence was cut short due to her winching in pain. I quickly shot up from the table and joined her by her side as did the others.

"Oh my god, Jian, what's wrong?" Kai asked in panic. Jian's breathing became even heavier as she struggled to speak.

"I-I...I-AHHHHHHHH!" She screamed. After she leaned back to scream, I soon discovered the bottom half of her clothing had become drenched by an unidentifiable source. Oh Jesus Christ wait, that doesn't mean what I think it means, does it?!

"Oh good lord, her water just broke! She's-SHE'S GOING INTO LABOUR!" Kai shouted. Labour?! Now?! Oh sweet mother of god!

"Oh crap, man! Oh crap!" Mantis panicked along win the others.

"She's having the baby!" Monkey yelled.

"Oh my goodness!" Mr Ping shouted.

"What do we do?!" Po asked in a raised.

"Calm down, calm down!" Viper shouted. Although she herself was a little panicky, she tried her best to remain calm. Once she took a deep breath, she held a serious expression. "Ok, we need to get her into a comfortable position where the baby can be delivered. We'll need some towels, something for her to lie on and The Valleys doctor."

"Crane, you can get to doctor faster than any of us. Alert him of what's happening and fly him here." Tigress ordered. Although he was little jittery, he shook his head and sped off in a flash.

"I'll get some towels in the storeroom. Po, head upstairs and grab the pillow from your old room so she can lie on it. Hurry son, hurry!" Mr Ping instructed as he sprinted into his kitchen while Po, who was in a confused state, sped off to his room while repeating the word pillow over and over.

"We better get her on the floor. She can't have a baby propped onto a chair. Ben, help me get her on the ground." Kai spoke. I nodded and grabbed one paw while he grabbed to other. We managed to lower her to the ground and propped her against the chair she was sitting on. She was now in position to deliver the baby safely. Although it may seem like I'm calm, I assure you I am shaking right now. I mean, she's going to give birth man! Like any goddamn minute! And I have no fricking clue what to do. I could see that even Mantis and Monkey were freaking out too and it looked like Monkey was about to vomit. Tigress herself showed she was visibly shaken with this whole scene but was doing an excellent job at remaining calm along with Viper. As Jian's screams of pain augmented, Kai tightened his grasp around her paw and kissed it.

"Baby, I know it hurts but you need to stay calm and breath normally. Just know that I'm here and-" The panther was silenced as Jian held him by the hem of his shirt and growled.

"YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME!" She roared in an extremely frightening tone. "I swear when we get home I'm going to cut off your-AHHHHH!" Her short outburst was silence by another scream. Kai merely smiled and kissed her paw again.

"I love you too, sweetheart." He said.

"This baby looks like he's coming fast. If Crane doesn't get back her with the doctor soon, we might have to deliver the baby ourselves." Viper noted.

"Aw, no way man, I ain't doing that." Mantis objected.

"We might not have a choice." Viper said. Before this of conversation could continue, it was erupted by the return of both Mr Ping and Po, who scrambled back to us with the items that were requested.

"Good, you're both back. Quickly, Ben take the towels and lay one between her legs and save the other to wrap to baby in when it arrives." Viper instructed. I nodded and grabbed the towels from Mr Ping and used placed one between Jian's legs, which I presume was for gathering the waste that was sure to follow after to birth of the child. Once that was done, I placed the other towel up onto the table to used to wrap the baby up with.

"Okay, now Po, lean her forward and place the pillow behind her. We're gonna be here for sometime and we need her as comfortable as much as possible." Viper instructed. Po shook his head shakily and did as she ask with his paws shaking. Once she was propped onto the pillow, it seemed like everything was set for the birth. Almost everything.

"Where's Crane with the doctor?" Po asked. As if on cue, the said avian flew into the shop with a male sheep in his talons. There wasn't much to describe about him other than the fact that he wore a pair of glasses and was carrying a brown medical bag with him. Once he was dropped onto the ground, he stumbled slightly before regaining his balance.

"Goodness me, here was about to drop off for the night, and I'm informed that a birth is about to take place!" The doctor said before straightening his glasses and headed towards Jian. "Ah, Jian, tell me how are feeling?" He asked while he began searching through his brown bag.

"Not too good, doc. As you can see-I'M GIVING BIRTH!" She shouted with a painful scream follow shortly after.

"Keeping in high spirits, good, good." The doc said paying no mind to frightening tone Jian just spoke in. After searching through his bag for a short moment, he pulled out a small vial and uncorked it. "Well, it's good to see that everything has been prepared for baby's arrival. But we will be here for sometime. Jian, I'm going to have you drink this. It'll ease the pain during the birth." The doc said while approaching the jaguar. As he held out the small vial, Jian snatch it from his grasp and down the liquid in one gulp. Once it was empty, she chucked it back at the doctor and continued to breath heavily.

"I swear he better hurry up, or I'll drag him out of there!" Jian threatened.

"Patience, Jian. It's not going to come out anytime soon. You all better get comfortable, we'll be here for sometime." The doc suggested. We all nodded and waited. Breath after breath, Jian was told to push and keep a steady breath. And this just went on and on. Scream after scream until just about an hour. And that's when we heard it. A cry. An aberrant noise emitting from out of nowhere, that caused us all to gasp and our eyes to widen. The baby...was born.

"It's a boy!" The doc announced and he pulled out a little ball of fur that cried out loud. We all stared in amazement at the little guy that was laid before us. An hour of screaming and pain...all for this little guy. I'm sure it was worth it. The doc pulled a pair of scissors from his bag and cut the umbilical cord. Once the little guy was free from his surrogate chain, I handed the towel to the doctor which he used to wrap the baby up before handing him to his parents. As Jian brought him into her arms, we all leaned closer with smiles on our faces as we gazed upon this beautiful little thing.

"He's beautiful..." Jian whispered as she stroked his head. His eyes were shut and his cries were replaced by the sound of soft, quiet breaths. Goddamn he was fricking cute. Considering he was a mixture of both jaguar and panther, he certainly had a unique fur pattern. A large portion of his fur was pitch black but it was complemented with orange patches around him. The one most noticeable was his little nose. I know I already said it but, goddamn he was cute.

"He's like a big ball of fur." Viper said.

"He certainly is. Well, I believe I should be heading home. I'm glad to have been of assistance." The doctor said while packing up his equipment.

"Thank you so much, Doctor Nao. For everything." Kai said.

"Of course, it was no trouble. For now he seems fine, just let him rest and bring him to me the first thing tomorrow morning for a quick checkup. As for now, I hid you all ado. Happy holidays to you all." The doc said before taking his leave, allowing us all to turn our attention back to the baby. Jian turned to her husband with a smile.

"Looks like I have two boys to look after." She said. Kai chuckled as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I love you..." He whispered.

"I love you too..." She whispered back as the two kissed for a brief moment before the rubbed their heads together in an affectionate manner. The entire scene caused Viper to snuggle close to Crane, who, in turn, wrapped his wings around her. They were followed by example as Po hugged his dad and the old goose wasted no time in hugging him back. Then, even Monkey and Mantis had themselves a little hug. Heh, the big softies. Being distracted with everyone coming together, I failed to noticed a pair of furry arms being wrapped around me. I smiled and turned to sight of a smiling feline who snuggled close to me. I wrapped my own arms around her and held her close as I did. What better way to end a feast than with...a little miracle. This truly was...a wonderful moment.

"Ohhh...Jesus feckin' Christ of all mighty." A voice spoke interrupting the whole moment. All eyes turned to a nearby table and locked with an almost forgotten Irish man. Irish sat up with his head spinning slightly as he turned to us. "What did miss?" He asked. As a few eyes rolled in their sockets we all just sighed.

"Just something really special." I replied. With a quick explanation as to what happened and with a couple of more minutes past, we all decided to finally head home. Now that...was a feast. I can't believe that just happened! I mean, Jian just gave birth right then and there. And I was actually shaken up with the whole thing. Well, what would you expect when you've never been in the presence of a birth. I tell yeah, that was certainly an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon. And to see that newborn baby firsthand...was just incredible. I'm sure I'm trailing off here, anyway, it was getting late and once we had all returned to the Jade Palace, everyone had returned to their room besides Tigress and myself. We stood outside our rooms to have a final word with one another.

"It was quite a night, huh?" I asked in a hush tone.

"Certainly a change from last year." Ti jested. I released a quiet chuckle.

"Seeing that baby...it was something special."

"Indeed it was. I can only imagine he'll grow up just as strong as his parents."

"With all his aunts and uncles looking out for him too, right?" Tigress nodded with a smile.

"Of course. Well...it's getting late, we should turn in." She suggested. I nodded and was about to kiss her goodnight but something only now had just dawned on me.

"Wait, hang on, I gotta show you something. Just wait there." I spoke before rushing into my room to retrieve something, which was her gift. I can't believe I had almost forgotten it. Once I got her gift, I hid it behind my back as I returned to the confused feline. Once I stood in front of her, I held out a black cloth that was folded over on itself. Tigress' eyes gazed upon the cloth with a questionable expression.

"What's this?" She asked.

"A little gift I got you." I replied.

"A gift? You...you got me a gift?" She asked with a shocked expression.

"Of course. Go on, see what it is." I said handing her the cloth. As she took it, she was taken by surprise when she found the folded piece of cloth had a little weight to it. With one paw holding it, she used the other to slowly unfold the cloth until what was inside had exposed itself, and when it did, she gasped.

"Oh my goodness..." She whispered.

"Happy holidays, kitten." She used one paw to lift her gift from the cloth and allowed it to be illuminated with the light the moon produced. How ironic and I'll tell you why. In her grasp was a silver chained necklace with a silver pendant of a half crescent moon.

"Ben, it's...it's beautiful..." She whispered once more. I smiled, feeling like my gift had certainly sufficed.

"I got it specially made for you." I said. Her eyes turned away from her gift and back to me.

"Truly?" She asked. I nodded in response. "Surely that wasn't cheap."

"Yeah, it wasn't, but it was worth it."

"I...I can't accept this. I haven't gotten a gift to give you in return." I couldn't help but smile at her words. To respond, I reached out and placed my hand on her cheek before gently stroking it.

"You're my gift, Ti. That means more to me than anything in the world. And the reason I got you this gift is because...you're my girl and I love you. And besides, I know you love the moon a lot, so I figured...why shouldn't you be able to carry it around with you." Yeah, it was cheesy, but hey, I don't see you coming up with anything that clever. Ti opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. Instead, she just leapt forward and forced her lips against mine and the two of us Indulged in a vehement kiss with our arms wrapped around one another tightly. As the kiss ended, we remained in each others arms and stared into each others eyes before I pushed my nose up against hers, causing her chuckle. We both pulled from our embrace and I watched as Ti began to secure the necklace around her neck. Once it was on, she returned her eyes hand to me along with a smile.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"You're welcome. Now, we really should get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, right?" I asked while backing towards my bedroom with Ti's paw in my grasp.

"Of course." She replied. As I neared my room, our grasp loosened until I still and gave one final kiss to her paw before it finally broke.

"Goodnight, kitten." I said while stepping into my room.

"Goodnight, my love." Tigress spoke was slowly closing the door to her room before she was completely disappeared. I closed the door to my own room and headed to the bed. I kicked off my shoes, socks and finally vest before laying down on my bed. My eyes shut as a smile spread across my face and my thoughts focused on everything that happened today. And, it ever so slowly put me to sleep, concluding a most wonderful day.

(Ok, wow, where have I been you ask? Well, to try and not gush on too much, I'll just tell it to you straight. I just became a little unmotivated to continue. I just couldn't get into the mood to write, so I put the story off for a while. I suppose one could say I got a little writers block. So I gradually began to continue this chapter until only tonight I finally sat my ass down and finished it. And you know what? I believe it was writers block, because once I got past one part that stalled me, I just kept writing and writing. So hopefully with the holiday chapters done, I can move onto other ones. Now, with that out of the way, I wondered if I could get each of your opinion on something. The next set of chapters I was planning on doing would based around the anniversary of when Ben arrived at the Jade Palace. If you guys like the idea, I'll do it, but if you don't I'll just think of something else. For now, all I ask you to do is tell me what you thought of the chapter. Ciao!)


	71. Chapter 71

_Chapter 71: a meal for two_

Exactly two weeks have passed since the celebration of the winter holidays. Although nothing much happened during that time, I feel I should speak about what had happened during the winter feast itself. Needless to say, it certainly was a bit of a breakthrough when concerning my relationship with the people who I once called friends. A full year with them and only recently I've finally acknowledged them as my family. In all honesty, I'm quite ashamed at myself for not doing so months ago. In retrospect, one can clearly see the love we had for each other that has been constructed over a long period of time and as a result, we now have ourselves an unbreakable camaraderie. But now that I view them as family, it's helped me realise that these wonderful people mean the world to me. With that said, I have become more noticeably protective of them as a result. I had already lost my mother, so the thought of losing these people too...I wouldn't know what to do. My reason for living would just...diminish. I need these people in my life, especially Tigress. The thought of losing her above all people...it just kills me inside to think about it. Damn, that train of thought certainly became depressing really fast. So I'll cease from focusing further on the pessimistic side of things and move onto something a little more uplifting. That being Kai and Jian's newborn child, or Kai jr as they've called him. After bringing him the doctor a day after he was born, his evaluation was that he was a perfectly healthy boy. And I'm know it may seem I'm gushing on this matter but, I just couldn't get over how cute he was. The only accurate way I could describe him would be that he's just a little ball of black and orange fur that could make anyone smile. I found it a little difficult to let him go when I had him in my arms. And you could probably imagine why. In short, he was certainly a welcome little addition to our lives.

Now, I'd like to move onto another topic, an important one at that. As may have noticed, I've specifically said that exactly two weeks have past since the winter feast, marking today as a special day. And what makes today so special you ask? Well, today is the anniversary of when I arrived here. Ain't that something? I've been here a whole year! Now that is something truly think about. But, not only was it the anniversary of the day I arrived here, today is also...my birthday. Bet you didn't see that one coming, huh? Yes, it was my birthday and quite frankly, I didn't care that much. Why? I dunno, I wasn't much for celebrating my birthday, especially after I had exceeded the age of ten. I'm aware that others like to celebrate the birthday at any age, but for me, I'm not too wild about it. The guys however, disagreed. I know I haven't mentioned this at anytime before, but the guys, Viper in particular who wasn't aware of when my birthday was, often pushed me into spilling the beans and tell them when my birthday was. So after literally two months of keeping it a secret, I finally told them I would tell them when my birthday was once I got reassurance that they wouldn't throw a party or something similar. I just really didn't want anyone making a big deal about this. So after a questionable promise that they wouldn't do anything over the top, I laid the matter to rest. So what had I planned for today? Well initially, nothing much. I had planned to treat this day like any other. However, that idea was shortly put to rest once Tigress had invited me to share a meal with her at Mr Ping's, depicting it as a quiet night with just me and her for us to enjoy considering the occasion. I was certainly taken by surprise with this little offer and how could I say no? It sounded wonderful. But Tigress had insisted that we should head there at nine o' clock. Why? I wasn't quite sure, but I just went along with it So to allow time to pass until we had to leave, Tigress and I spent the majority of the time in the training hall doing, what else, training. After all, it was important not to slack off too often, or you just might lose touch with what you've learned. And with the sun set over the horizon outside, Ti and I were in the middle of sparring with little light in the hall, shining over us. For a woman who was deeply in love with me and would do anything to keep me from harm, she certainly seemed avid to knock my teeth out. Then again, I suppose that's one thing I loved about her. Despite being more openly saccharine at times, she still kept her tough-girl spirit, which I was absolutely in love with. Getting a little distracted with my thoughts, I had allowed myself to become vulnerable, to which she immediately took advance of. As I had thrown a rather off centred punch, she stepped to the side and wrapped one of her arms around mine, which was followed by her pressing it at an angle, bringing to my knees.

"You need to focus." Tigress noted. Being placed into this position made me search desperately for a way out. And I found one. Unbeknownst to her, her lock around my arm seemed rather precarious, allowing me to take full advantage. A smug grin spread across my face as I quickly acted by loosing her grasp and grabbing her arm and using my free hand to grab her leg, resulting in her being tossed over my head. I watched as she reacted immediately and rotated herself mid-flight, which was followed by a graceful landing.

"Looks like you need to too." I jested with a mocking laugh. For a woman with unmatched strength, my own managed to build up quite a capitulation. With my form still up, I watched as Ti dropped onto all fours before leaping at me. I kept my hands ready to grab her paws when they were ready to strike. That's what I expected to happen. Instead, she took me by surprise by spinning herself around and instead of her fist landing a hit, her foot took its place. Her foot collided with my chest with a enough force to send me sliding across the floor. Once I had come to a stop, I felt vertigo as I stared up at the ceiling. Before I could gather my bearings or react in any way, the feline was on top of me, pinning my arms down. I attempted to break free but it was clear it was no use. I had lost. A smile spread across the tigers face while I just stared up silently in defeat.

"How odd, you seemed a little full of yourself a moment ago. Have you no more quips to offer?" She mocked. My eyes merely rolled in their sockets.

"Yeah, yeah, you win, I lose, whatever. Can you let go of my wrists now?" I asked. She raised a brow.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Seeing you in this state is rather amusing." She chuckled. Wow, she's really gonna do this, huh?"

"Come on, kitten...please?" I pleaded with my puppy dog face. I couldn't help but laugh when her eyes rolled.

"Alright." She said releasing her grasp on my wrists. With them finally freed, I gently stroked them as Tigress got off of me completely and sat down on the ground next to me with her legs crossed.

"You know I wasn't even trying that hard, right? I was just passing the time until we have to leave." I said.

"Of course, I'm certain that's reason you were defeated once again." She spoke, seeing right through my ever so obvious fib.

"Yeah, well, you cheated...somehow." A soft chuckle escaped the feline.

"You just can't accept defeat, can you?"

"It's unfair when you always have the advantage. I mean, goddamn, you beat the crap out of me." I spoke with a fake whimper.

"Don't be such a baby." She said. In response, I wiggled over towards her and rested my head on her leg while staring up into her amber eyes.

"Will you kiss my boo boo's better?" I asked while acting in pain. Tigress shook her head with a smile.

"Why must you act so childish?" I forced my bottom lip to quiver as I stared innocently into her eyes.

"P-p-please?" I whimpered once more. She sighed in defeat before she decided to humour me. Despite me clearly annoying her with this whole thing, she held a beautiful smile that didn't seem like it was going to allay anytime soon. It's a wonderful feeling you get when you can get the person you love to smile.

"Alright, what you like me to kiss better?" She asked. I held out my wrists.

"Well, my wrists for a start. You did quite a number on them when you were pinning me down." She took each of my hands and placed a soft kiss on each wrist.

"Is that all?" I shook my head while pointing to my forehead.

"Nope, my forehead is next. I remember you slamming my head onto the ground when we began sparring." She slid her paw under my head and lifted to before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Surely that is it, I don't recall inflicting any more wounds on you."

"Just one more. My...lips are a little sore. I believe they'll need more that a little peck..." I spoke falling into a hush whisper upon my final words. I saw her smile fade as she stared deeply into my eyes and vice versa. With one paw resting under my head, she reached out with the other and laid it gently onto my cheek. I watched her slowly lower her head towards mine to lock into a kiss but I decided not to wait and meet her halfway. I reached up with both hands and laid them on the back of her neck while lifting my head to indulge in a kiss. As my lips locked with hers, I felt that usual sense of bliss as a smile conjured on my face through the kiss. But alas, the kiss didn't last long and ended shortly after it had began. And it may have been short, but it was sweet none the less. I reopened my eyes and stared back up at the majestic feline who stared right back at me with such an alluring smile. I sighed happily as I felt her paw beginning to gently stroke my head. This little training session certainly got derailed. I'm not complaining though. I always welcomed a moment like this to reminisce about it.

"You know...I could stay like this forever..." I muttered.

"I wish we could, but we still have plans for tonight. Speaking of which, I believe we should be preparing to leave soon."

"As much as it pains me to tear away from a moment like this, we did make plans. Ah well, at least that's sure to be fun, right?" Tigress nodded as she ceased from stroking my head.

"Of course. Come, we should get going." She suggested. I gave one final sigh of dejection and reluctantly pulled away from her so I could stand up. With the pair of us off the ground, I reached out and grabbed a hold of her paw. As my fingers intertwined my fingers with hers, I felt her tail wrap itself around my leg.

"Lets go then, madam." I said just before the two of us left the training hall and made a beeline to The Valley. While we headed down at a slow pace, the two of began nattering about what as I gazed around The Valley. The entire place was still buried in snow, but there was clear signs of it beginning to melt away, albeit at a very slow pace. It's quite a sad sight to see it go, it's just a wonderful sight to behold. But I was most certainly glad to finally say goodbye to that bitter cold that still hung in the air. Damn, it was cold. I buried my head further into my vest as I huddled close to Ti. This elicited a little smile from the feline.

"Feeling a little cold, are you?" She asked.

"Oh, you can tell just by the icicles hanging from my nose, huh? With that insight you have, one would almost mistake you for having a sixth sense." I replied with obvious sarcasm in my tone. Her eyes rolled before she pulled her paw from my hand and wrapped both her arms around me.

"Push closer to me, I'll keep you warm." She instructed. I wasted no time in doing just that. I threw my arms around her and held her tightly, soon noticing a slight warmth coming over me. I sighed happily as I turned to her with a smile.

"Thanks, babe."

"You're welcome, I wouldn't want to see you freeze."

"Shame Po isn't here to doing this. With the amount of fur that guys got on him, I'd probably start sweating." I joked.

"Well, you'll have to make due with me. Po won't be returning until later tonight." She noted. And what did she mean by that exactly? Well, I haven't mentioned this before but Po had made various visits to Song after the whole ordeal with Su. And after each visit, Po would inform us that the two where getting close. I can only hope this time the two have finally hitched it off. God knows they'd make a great couple.

"Yeah I know, he's still at Song's camp. You don't suppose they've finally clicked this time, do you?"

"It wouldn't surprise me, Po always gushes about Song after he returns from each visit. It'll only be a matter of time before its official."

"That'll certainly put a smile on the big guys face everyday. Song will be lucky to have him. Now it's only a matter of time before Dingus and Doofus find someone special." I joked.

"I assume you're speaking of Monkey and Mantis?" I nodded in response.

"Yup. I can see Monkey having a chance of finding someone, even though he can be callow at times, he's got a kind heart. As for Mantis..."

"A toothbrush would have better luck finding love." Ti jested. I released a loud laugh before regaining my composure.

"Yeah, that's a harsh way of putting it, but most certainly not inaccurate. The way he speaks to woman certainly not winning them over. He speaks to them as if they're objects. I've known him for a year and within that time he's been rejected again and again. If he wishes to find someone, he'll need to treat them like living beings."

"As difficult as that might be for him, that is indeed the only way."

"Still, its nice to see that love is spreading around. Seems like everyone's finding it, huh? It all started with Crane and Viper and now it's come to Song and Po."

"It seems appropriate considering Valentines day is just a months time away." Ti reminded. Oh yeah, that's right, Valentines is coming up. With that said, memories from last year came flooding back. I smiled when the image of Tigress sitting across the table from me at Luc's cuisine had crossed my mind. Man it was such a great night. But with the two of us being a couple now, I'm positive we're gonna have an even better time this Valentines.

"Speaking of Valentines..." I said while slipping one arm around her further, "your boyfriend has little something planned. And don't ask what it is, because I'm not telling you anything."

"You're planning on bringing me to Luc's, correct?" She surmised. My eyes widened and I had fallen silent. How the hell did she know?

"Uh...maybe?"

"I'll take that as a yes." I sighed at her response.

"Ok, yeah, it was suppose to be a surprise but now it's not. Damn, now that you know what I have planned, it's not gonna be as special. Well, that's Valentines ruined." Ti chuckled before speaking.

"Don't despair, what ever you have planned, either big or small, as long as I spend it with you, that's all that matters." She assured.

"Really?" She nodded before placing a kiss onto my cheek, which caused a smile to form on my face. "Thanks, kitten."

"You're welcome. Anyway, enough chit chat, we're here." She pointed out. I tore my gaze away from Ti and noticed that we had indeed reached our destination As the pair of us stood out Mr Pings restaurant, I really took into account with just how dark it had gotten. Luckily, the shop was brightly lit up with lanterns and it shun light into the...completely empty shop. Huh...that's...weird. Usually there'd still be a customer or two at this hour. Had Mr Ping closed up early?

"Hey, Ti, are you sure it's still open?" I asked gazing through the archway that led into the restaurant

"Of course, why wouldn't it?" She asked, as if she was completely oblivious to the fact that it was empty.

"Well...there's no one here...doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Don't pay any mind to that, I'm certain people are just having an early night. Come, let us head inside." She said before lightly yanking my arm and led us both inside. Once we had stepped foot into the establishment, I couldn't help but feel something was amiss. And I mean beyond the lack of people. It was if something at the back of my mind was telling me something was up. My eyes narrowed towards the kitchen I was confused even further when I find Mr Ping to be missing. I turned to Ti once more.

"Are you sure this place isn't closed?" I asked once again.

"Of course. Head to the counter and call out for Mr Ping." She instructed. While remaining cautious, I released my grasp of Ti and threaded carefully towards the counter while Ti followed behind me. But with each step taken, I felt as if though something out of the blue was going to happen. My eyes surveyed the shop before returning back to the counter. As I took the final steps towards counter, my eyes were locked with the eerily dark kitchen that appeared to be empty. Then, I had finally stopped in front of the counter and silence filled the air. While my eyes remained fixed on the pitch black kitchen, I asked Ti the same question once again.

"Ti, are you certain-" Before the question could be asked again, I had cut myself off as I had been taken by surprise by various dark figures that had emerged from behind the counter which caused me to gasp and flail backwards. And in a state of shock, my mind had drawn a blank upon hearing a word being spoke in unison by the figures.

"Surprise!"

(Whew, that took some time. Well, that's the first chapter of presumably two. So I'll try and get the second part up as soon as I can. Until then, tell me what you thought of the chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.)


	72. Chapter 72

_Chapter 72: happy birthday_

As I flailed backwards, I had inevitably lost my balance and I would have hit the floor if I hadn't been caught by Tigress who was behind me. My now widened eyes locked with the figures who emerged from the kitchen with their darken exterior finally been illuminated by the light inside the restaurant. And they revealed themselves to be...my family. All of them were here, including Po who was accompanied by Song, someone I hadn't expected to see anytime soon. And what was even more surprising was the fact that they had their arms around one another. Could that possibly mean what I think it means? Guess I'll find out soon. But the first question that was on my mind was what was everyone doing here?

"Ah man, you crapped your pants." Mantis spoke which was caused everyone else to laugh. I shook my head and straightened myself back onto my feet.

"What-what's going on here? What are you all doing here?" I asked.

"What, did the 'surprise' not give it away? It's a surprise birthday party!" Viper replied. A surprise birthday party? Huh?

"A party? You all planned a surprise party for me?" I asked, still baffled with the entire scene. When each of them nodded their heads in response, I turned to Tigress. "So wait...you were stringing me along this entire time? The whole 'quiet night for two' was a fib? You lied to me?" Tigress chuckled inwardly.

"I prefer the word 'mislead'. I couldn't risk you figuring out we had a party planned for you, so a fib was necessary to keep you in the dark." She explained. I turned back to the others with my arms crossed.

"Okay, let me get this straight; after I told you guys I don't celebrate my birthday anymore, you go ahead and throw a party for me anyway?" I questioned. They all nodded. "Even after you promised me you wouldn't?"

"Yup." Monkey said.

"Pretty much." Crane added.

"But why?" I asked.

"Why?" Po asked, seemingly shocked to hear me ask such a question, as well as the others. "Because you're part of our family." He explained.

"Yeah and you've done so much for us, it only seems right to do something special for you." Crane added. I felt a little weight upon my shoulder to and turned to find Ti's paw resting on my shoulder.

"Because we care about you, and we always will." She said.

"Damn straight." Monkey agreed.

"We're your family and we love you." Viper spoke with a smile. My eyes remained fixed on my family and I was...shocked to say the least. Throughout this whole day, I was expecting to have nothing more than a meal with my girlfriend and yet...I get this. Even after I requested that they shouldn't do something like this, they go and do it anyway. I suppose I should be a annoyed at the fact that they went against my wishes and threw a party for me, despite me requesting that they shouldn't. But...to hear their reasons for doing so...it made me feel a little emotional. To hear them express their genuine love for me...really struck me hard. I smiled before speaking.

"Damn guys...I...I really don't know what to say. I just..." I choked up and found myself unable to continue as tears began to build up in my eyes. I bowed my head and brought my fingers to my eyes in an attempt to stop tears from falling. I heard a few 'aww's' before I felt Tigress wrap her arms around me, allowing myself to regain my composure. I lifted my head and offered a smile to them all. "Thanks guys..."

"Hey, no problem, buddy. You may have said you didn't want something like this, but you sure as heck deserve it." Crane spoke with a smile.

"Exactly. Now what you say we get this party started?" Po said. The rest gave a small cheer in response.

"Come on, son lets get some snacks and beverages out for everyone." Mr Ping beckoned as he re-entered the kitchen.

"Alright, dad. You guys just sit down and chat while we get the stuff out." Po instructed. Song placed a paw onto his chest.

"Hurry back." She ordered. Po chuckled and placed a quick kiss on her lips, much to my surprise.

"Of course." He said before following his dad into the kitchen. While the rest had seated themselves and engaged in conversation, I approached my snow leopard friend. Once she noticed me approach, she smiled sweetly.

"Ben, it's really good to see you! Happy birthday!" She spoke while giving me a hug. I chuckled and wasted no time in returning the hug.

"Thank you, Song, it's really good to see you too. I gotta say, I really wasn't expecting to see you anytime soon." I said while breaking the hug.

"Well when Po visited me a few weeks ago, he told me about a party everybody had planned for you. He told me all his friends and family were invited so he invited me." She explained.

"Well, I'm really glad you came, thank you."

"Of course, I'd never miss this for the world." I smiled and turned towards the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Po. Upon finding him in my sight, my smile transformed into a grin. "By the way, I couldn't help notice you and Po...share a kiss. Does that mean what I think it means?" My questioned prompted rosy cheeks from the snow leopard.

"Indeed it does. We got together this morning and I can honestly say, I've never been more happier in my life."

"I'm really happy for you, Song. The both of you really deserve each other."

"Thank you. Well, enough about that, we have a party to enjoy! Let's join the others." She said before taking a seat with the others. I wasted no time in joining them and I took a seat right next to my girl. I'd like to have a quiet word with her. While everyone else were busy chatting with each other, I nudged Ti and grabbed her attention.

"A quiet night for two, huh?" I questioned. The feline smiled.

"Are you saying this party isn't a sufficient substituted?" She asked. I gazed around the table and saw each member of my family laughing and seeming so cheerful. Needless to say, it certainly made me smile. I placed my hand over Ti's paw and turned my attention back to her.

"It's perfect. Tell me, who planned all this?" I asked.

"Po and I. He invited everyone else and reserved the shop for your party."

"Invite everyone, huh? Where's Kai, Jian, Chi, Ling and Irish?"

"Unfortunately, they couldn't make it. They were busy with what not, however they did send their regards and birthday wishes."

"I'm sure they'd come if they could. As well. But tell me, what was you're job in all this?"

"I was put up to the task of keeping you occupied and distracted. I'd say I did an adequate job." She smirked.

"You're a devious one, you know that?" Tigress chuckled at my words. My grip on her paw tightened as rubbed my cheek against hers affectionately. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome, you deserve it after what you have done for us all." I smiled and turned my attention to the kitchen. I noticed both Mr Ping and Po exit it with bowls of various types of snacks.

"Lets get this party started!" Po chimed as he laid the bowls onto the table. And from there, myself and everyone else began to indulge ourselves in a night of fun and celebration. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around this. I'm beyond grateful for the effort they put in just for me. I mean, damn, I nearly cried I was so touched by this whole thing. It's certainly a reminder that these people care for me deeply and that goes both ways. I...I just...I goddamn love these people. Well, I shouldn't keep blabbing on about this, I still have the rest of the party to enjoy. Well, the end of it anyway. Time seemed to have past quickly for it was nearly ten o' clock! At this point myself and the others were practically full for the food provided for us all so we all just spent the rest of the time reminiscing over the past year while drinking cups of wine. At the moment, we spoke about the events that happened to me recently and we worked our way all the way back to my first days at the Jade Palace. At the moment we were speaking about my first time sparring with them all. A story Mantis was all too eager to talk about.

"I mean, Shifu had us go one on one with him and he..." Mantis trailed off as he began laugh his little ass off, no doubt amused at my poor performance that day. "Man, he just got his ass kicked over and over." His story caused the rest to laugh in unison and even got a chuckle out of me.

"Hey, I went up against five trained Kung Fu masters, of course I'd get my ass kicked. Man, I can still feel the bruises." I said.

"Ah, quit whining. You toughened up, didn't you?" Mantis questioned.

"Tough enough to kick your little ass now." I retorted. The rest shared a chuckle as I sighed happily. "Man, it's been one hell of a year."

"Yeah, no kidding." Crane agreed.

"It's been a heck of a ride." Monkey added. We all remained quiet to soak in the moment until I had spoken up once more.

"You know guys, even though you didn't have to do all this for me...I'm grateful you did."

"Of course we had to, you're important to us. You're family." Viper spoke with a smile, drawing out one of my own.

"Thank you, Viper."

"While we're on this topic, I gotta ask; why is it you don't celebrate your birthday anymore? I know you said because you feel too old for it, but I dunno, I kinda feel like there's another reason." Po enquired. Though the question caught me off guard, the answer to his question was certainly one that didn't require too much thought. And...well, I'll be honest, I have been hiding the truth as to why I don't celebrate my birthday. I suppose after everything they've done for me, they deserved to know the truth. I sighed and rested my my head on my hand.

"Yeah...there is another reason. I just didn't tell you guys because...well, it falls down to a painful memory." I replied.

"Hey...it's alright, you can tell us, just let it out." Viper . I sighed and prepared to present them the truth.

"The reason why I don't celebrate my birthday is because it...it brings back a painful memory." I began to explain. They all shared questionable glances before turning their attention back to me. "It ties into when I was just a child. At age four to be exact. Though I was young...the memory is still vivid. It was the day...my" target="_blank"day...my dad left me and my mom, which also happened to be my birthday." Upon the mentioning of my father, they're expressions turned to sympathy. I suppose I should mention that they knew about that bastard, so their expressions were expected.

"Your dad..." Crane muttered.

"Yeah, good ol' dad. Just the guy you need to scar you for life. He was out all night drinking while I spent my birthday at home drawing and trying to have fun. But then...he came home. Drunk off his mind and fists ready to strike. Any other day, he would have given me just a simple beating but that day...my birthday was nothing more than a reason to beat the shit out of me even more than usual. To him...I was a mistake, something that was never to be born in the first place and he made sure I knew that. While he beat me, he screamed at me, calling me a mistake, a waste of food, money...and a waste if life..." I really didn't wish to continue speaking about this, so I decided to wrap it up. "So from that day forward, anytime my birthday came around...I'm always reminded of that day..." Well...now they know. That was difficult to talk about, though talking about anything from my past usually is. How odd a blissful environment could turn so quiet by a mere story. None of them uttered a word and instead resided in a state of pure silence. And after nearly a minute of silence, Po was the first to speak up.

"Aw, geez...I'm sorry, Ben. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright, Po, you didn't know."

"Ben...we're so sorry. If we had known your birthday brought about that memory, we wouldn't have gone and done all this." Tigress said.

"The memory came back to me even before I knew about this party. It's just something that's wedged into my sub-conscious."

"But surely this party didn't exactly help you forget." Crane said.

"Actually...it did a little." I said, surprising them. "I mean, the memory is still there but...I don't feel any pain from it anymore. The reason being is because...of you guys. Thanks to you all, I think...I think I can actually begin enjoying my birthday once more. And I'm so grateful I can. To think...if I didn't show up here a year ago...I probably would have drunk myself to death..." I speak, falling into a hush whisper upon my final words. My words caused Tigress to turn my head towards her as she stared deeply into my eyes.

"Well, you didn't and you won't. All that is in the past and you can no longer wonder about 'what if?' You have only a bright future to think about now. With your family...and with me." She said solemnly before placing a kiss on my lips. I hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, baby..." I whispered.

"Alright, enough mushiness, we still have the final moments of this party to enjoy!" Mantis spoke up, evidently ruining this little moment between me and my love. But, I couldn't help but agree. I laughed and raised my almost empty cup of wine.

"Damn right. I propose a toast; to family and a bright future!" The rest soon followed my lead and raised their cups before clanking them together.

"To family and a bright future!" They spoke in unison. And just like, the end of my party soon came, putting an end to a brilliant party. Man oh man, that was amazing. I got a feeling that's just the beginning of many more party's to come and I say; let them come. With my reason for not celebrating now no longer weighing me down, now I could truly enjoy my birthday once more. Man I just...I just feel so goddamn happy right now and you can no doubt wonder why. Well, I guess we better wrap this day up. After my party had ended, everyone including Song headed back up to the palace. Being as late as it is, it didn't feel right to let her return to her camp at such an hour, so we convinced her to spend the night at the palace. And with everyone now back in their rooms, that left me and Tigress alone in the hall.

"Now that was a hell of a birthday party." I spoke in a hush whisper. I saw a smile appear on that beautiful face of hers.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." She said. I took her paws and smiled.

"Thank you for putting so much effort in for me."

"You're very welcome."

"Well...I guess this is where we say goodnight." I said, leaning in for a kiss. However, instead of her lips meeting mine, her finger took its place, bringing me to a full stop.

"Not quite. Follow me." She instructed. She freed one paw and used the other to led me into her room. Once we were inside, she removed her other paw from my grasp before taking a seat on her bed. She patted an empty space beside her, beckoning me to sit. I complied to her request while wondering what she was up to, once I was seated beside her, she reached under her bed and pulled out what appeared to be a rectangular box. I raised and brow and began to inspect it.

"What's that?" I asked. In response, she held it out.

"A gift, for you." She replied. A gift? She got me a gift?

"For me?" I asked. She nodded. "Aw, Ti, you didn't need to get me a gift."

"Of course I did, it's your birthday. Go ahead, open it." She instructed. I reluctantly took the box from her and open it. And...wow, I think I just gasped.

"Jesus..." I muttered.

"Happy birthday, Ben." I reached into the box and pulled out...a necklace. Much like the one I got her, it was made of silver but possessed a different pendant. That being...a little sliver tiger.

"Damn, Ti...I...I don't know what to say..." I spoke, completely flabbergasted with this gift. The feline chuckled.

"I see you like it."

"Like it? I love it. But...you didn't have to do this for me." I watched as Tigress reached into the hem o her vest and pulled out her own necklace.

"After you got me this?" She questioned. "A simple ' thank you' wasn't adequate enough. You deserved something better." I couldn't offer a response as I just turned my eyes back to my gift. After a moment of staring at it, I threw one arm around my girls neck and pulled her close.

"Thank you, Ti." I whispered. She hugged me back in response.

"You're welcome. Go ahead, try it on." I nodded as I secured the necklace around my neck and lifted the pendant. A little tiger, I wonder who that could represent?

"I guess this is supposed to be a reminder of you everyday, huh?" I jested.

"Actually, that's a charm." She corrected.

"A charm?" I questioned.

"Supposedly. It's meant to provide protection to the wearer. Now I do not have to worry about any harm falling upon you." She explained. I smirked and stuffed the necklace into the hem of my vest.

"Why would I need a pendant looking our for me when I got the real tiger keeping me from harm?"

"I cannot watch over you every moment of the day." I chuckled.

"I know, I was joking." I became silent as my thoughts took over my mind. My smile faded as I pulled Ti close. "Thank you..." I whispered. Tigress chuckled as she hugged me tightly.

"You already thanked me." She reminded. I pulled away from the hug and stared into her eyes.

"I meant thank you...for everything. I never got a chance to say this earlier but...I want you to know that you are the reason for my happiness." Tigress' smile faded as she noticed the seriousness in my tone.

"Ben..." She muttered. I silenced her by reaching around to the back of her head and bringing her closer to me, allowing me to place a kiss on her head before resting my forehead against hers.

"It's true, Ti. The main reason I'm truly happy right now, is because of you. You're why I get up every morning, you're why I continue to fight and push on in life." I pulled my head away and began to stroke her cheek. "You're my catalyst, kitten...my reason for living. I love you..." Tigress reached up and place a paw over my hand.

"I love you too, Ben..." I leaned closer to her and pressed my lips against hers, bringing us into a blissful state. Ti wrapped her arms around me as I did the same. I began to carcass her sides gently and the kiss continued until he brought the pair of us down onto the bed. The kiss broke and we laid facing each other on bed. I reached out a stroked her cheek.

"As much as I don't want to pull away from this...it's getting late." I leaned in and kissed her head. Before I could stand up, Ti pulled me back down.

"Ben...wait..."

"Yeah?" She averted her eyes and began to stroke her arm.

"Would you...would you mind spending the night here?" She asked. I found myself taken back by this offer.

"Spend the night...?" I questioned. Ti sighed.

"I know it mere appear as a silly request but...I just don't wish to let you go tonight. I want you here, with me." Well...this isn't exactly the first time we've done something like this, so...I guess it would be okay. I smiled.

"Of course, kitten." Tigress smiled.

"Thank you. Come now, we better get some sleep." She said. I waited for her to get into her a comfortable position before I find a place to settle. So, with both of us sharing this small bed, we were forced to press close up to one another, not that we had a problem with that. Ti had her back pressed up against me while my arms were secured tightly around her.

"Goodnight, baby." He whispered before placing a final kiss on the back of her head. Tigress reached down and grabbed a hold of my hand before snuggling closer to me.

"Goodnight, Ben." She whispered back. And with that, the pair of us drifted off the sleep.

(Well, here's the second part, FINALLY! Well, with that out of he way, I got a couple of things to talk about. First off, I apologise for taking so long to get this chapter out. Why did it take so long you ask? Well, the reason being is because I was planning out what I was going to do next before I...well, before I end this story. Yes, this story is nearing the end and it indeed is upsetting But I feel this story has been around a bit far too long and I wish to end it before typing out countless chapters becomes tedious. So, I will presumably have a set of final valentines chapters before moving onto the last section of this story; the second movie. Now for those who were let down at how I incorporated the first one; WORRY NOT! For I will not be ripping the dialogue straight from the movie again. I will instead create my own. If you guys have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'd really prefer a message over a question in the review section, if that's not to much trouble. But if you're a guest and have no choice but to use the review section to contact me, I suppose I can make that work too. So, with that out of the way, I hid you ado. Don't forget to review by the way!)


	73. Chapter 73

_Chapter 73: talk of an uncertain future_

It had been weeks since my birthday and I now found myself in the month of February. More specifically, it was February the fourteenth. It was the day of love, baby and I had a lot to talk about. Which I will go into further, but after a brief recap about what's happened since my birthday. Needless to say, that was probably the best birthday I have ever had. Though considering its the only real birthday I've ever had, I suppose I can consider it the best so far. And on the topic of my birthday, my age had come into consideration. I realised that I was now a year older and that's going to continue year after year. With that thought clouding my mind, it finally dawned on me that I...well" target="_blank"I...well, I haven't got anything planned for my future. I never really truly had time to think about it due to me spending a portion of my life not caring about my future. But now, after spending a whole year here, it was clear I was here for good, so I really need to plan something out. And I have...sort of. After giving myself some real time to think, I realised it was not only my future I had to consider, there was also Tigress'. I mean, we've been together for months now! It was obvious by now that neither us were going to leave one another. So I...we had to plan for our future. I already had an idea of what kind of future I wanted for us. And that involved us...raising a family. Though some might consider it a little to early to presume on such a life, it feels like something I would want. But that's just my point of view, I still had to hear what Tigress had to say about it. So tonight, during our date, I planned on bringing up the discussion on our future. I feel pretty confidant speaking on the matter even though I'm unsure on how it'll go. Guess I'll find out tonight.

Well, time to get back on track here. Like I said, it was Valentines day and everyone had their own plans. Po left early in the morning and headed for Songs camp to spend the day with her. I know I've said it before but I'm very happy for the pair of them, they really do deserve each other. So I presume he'll be gone all day. Mantis and Monkey had planned to terrorise every female in The Valley with their, ahem, boyish charm. I can only hope those woman find sanctuary before the sun sets. Crane and Viper had planned to share a romantic meal at Luc's cuisine to celebrate being together for an entire year. It's hard to believe but it was true. An entire year and their love has never diminished. I'm really happy for them. And last but not least, Ti and I. At first I had planned on bringing her to Luc's cuisine. But she discovered my plans and ruined the surprise. Though she said it did not matter, I really wanted to at least surprise her. So I came up with another idea on what to do with her tonight and I was currently in the process of preparing for it.

It was nearing late afternoon and I was now making my way down to the general store down in The Valley. I had planned on collecting a few items for my date tonight, but I had to make my way down there without drawing suspicion from Tigress. Luckily for me, Crane too had planned on heading to the general store to get a little gift for Viper. So with the opportunity there, I took it and just told Tigress I was gonna join Crane for some guy talk and get a chance to stretch my legs. Thankfully she bought the story, allowing me to keep what I had planned for tonight a secret. So with that being taken care of, Crane and I made our way down to The Valley to pick up our stuff. Along the way down the steps to The Valley, I was explaining to Crane my true reasons for coming down here.

"So you're not bringing Tigress to Luc's?" Crane asked.

"Nope. She still thinks I am though. That's the reason for all this secrecy. I just figured I could at least surprise her with something she's not expecting." I answered.

"So what do you have planned for tonight then?"

"I've planned a little picnic up by the peach tree. Just her, me and the beautiful night sky. That's why I'm down here, I'm gonna pick up a few things for the picnic." I explained.

"I'm sure you two will enjoy yourselves." Crane said as the two of us had reached the general store.

"Don't worry, we will. And hey, what about you and Viper? I bet you two are really gonna enjoy yourselves, right? After all you have a lot to celebrate." I spoke while giving him a playful nudge. The avian chuckled.

"Yeah...I really can't believe it, a whole year. It's felt like a dream..."

"I could only imagine. A whole year and you two have stayed true to each other the entire time. You two really were made for each other."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it. But hey, things wouldn't have turned out this way if it wasn't for you." Crane pointed out. I waved one hand dismissively while grabbing some items with the other.

"Ah, Crane, I hardly did anything, you-"

"Don't go all modest on me, you and I both know you're the reason why I'm with Viper now."

"Hey, all I was doing was helping out my friend."

"You did more than just that. You gave me a future, and for that, I'll always be grateful."

"No problem, bud. You know I'll always be there to help you out." I said causing the avian to smile.

"Thanks, Ben. I appreciate you saying that. And you know that goes both ways."

"You look out for me and I look out for you, I guess that's what a family does." Crane released a light chuckle until he fell silent with his smile now gone.

"Yeah...family..." He whispered as he continued to browse through the shops wares. I raised a brow at his sudden change of demeanour. I followed the avian while I continued to pick up my own items.

"Crane, is something wrong?" I asked. He stopped in his tracks and once again sighed.

"It's...it's just that...it's nothing, don't worry about it." He replied. Finding the atmosphere between us suddenly shift, it was obvious that something was bothering him and I was determined to find out what. I set down my items and approached the bird. I rested a hand onto his shoulder.

"Crane, if something's wrong, tell me. I just said I'll always be there to help you and I mean it, so tell me what's up." I spoke in an almost demanding manner. Crane released a final sigh before turning back to me with saddened eyes.

"Alright...I'll tell you. Do you remember what you said about all us? At the Winter Feast at the Jade Palace before we all went to Mr Pings?" He asked.

"You mean...what I said about us all being a family?" I replied. He nodded.

"Yeah. You could already tell it was a shocking revelation to us all but...It was true. For years me and the others were family and we didn't even realise it! I guess all it took for us to realise it was you and Po. Ever since you two came to the palace everything has become...so much better for us all. You guys brought us all closer until it finally came down to us realising that we were a family. The fact that I have all you guys to look out for and for you to look out for me it just...it makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world." Throughout his little story, Crane had a smile on his face, one that even brought one on my own. But...as he neared those final words, the smile vanished as did mine. "But as of recently I've been feeling...well if I'm honest, I feel frightened."

"Frightened? Of what?"

"Of losing it." He began to explain. "You see, Viper and I...our relationship has gotten much more serious than it had been before. A few weeks ago, I brought her out for a meal and she brought up the topic of our future. But you should know we have talked about it before many times, but this time...it was much more serious. We discussed the possibility of a family, which is certainly a life I've always dreamed of. But...the more we talked about it, the more I came to realise what we might have to do if we pursue that life."

"Like what?"

"We might have to...leave the Jade Palace. After all, we shouldn't force the life of a Kung Fu warrior on our child. But even if he or she does wish to do it, I'm not certain I would want my child to be putting their life at risk."

"What are talking about, they would great teachers. You know; us!"

"I thought about that as well and I just...I just can't think straight! In ever scenario I can only imagine us having the leave our family behind or maybe you, or the others might leave to pursue their future and-and...just the thought of anyone I love and care about leaving or me leaving them...it just breaks my heart." Crane spoke lowering his head at his final words. Finding myself taken back by this sudden revelation, I just stared at Crane in silence while my mind began to ponder. I'm...stunned to say the least. Here I was planning on discussing my own future and I didn't realise someone else was too. Though...through his eyes, he sees something...I'm too rather afraid of as well. I can't believe that thought never crossed my mind. What if we all did end up on different paths? What if we had to...say goodbye for good? No, who I'm I kidding?! Something like that will never happen! Even if we all did end up separating it would defiantly not be a goodbye for good. We're a family, and family never says goodbye. I gathered my bearings and placed both hands on Cranes shoulders.

"Crane, listen to me, I understand how you feel, the future can be a scary thing when the uncertainty is brought up. But you gotta know, even if any of us do leave, it still means were a family, no matter what. We're not ever gonna say goodbye. Just know that your my brother, and I love you man." I spoke with a smile. My words certainly had an impact since he regained his smile and wrapped his wings around me. I wasted no time in returning the gesture as I pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thanks, Ben, I'm glad I you're there to help me."

"Always." And with everything said and done, Crane and I collected our stuff and left. On our way back up to the palace, I asked Crane to fly all the things I bought up to the peach tree, to which he kindly did. We wished each other good luck for each others dates as I made my way to the kitchen, where Tigress said she would be when I returned.

(Back again folks after yet another pilgrimage. My apologises, I thought I was going to be able to do frequent updates, but instead I found myself on a video game marathon. I just bought a couple of new games and played one after the other until I finally finished them all and...here I am! And just as I thought it had ended completely, fricking Dark souls 2 had to come out! So though I'll be playing that, I'll also have more time to continue to story and possibly post more frequently. I can only hope. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and I'm sorry for not posting recently. Part 2 of the valentines chapters will up when I have time to write it. Until then, don't forget to review and stay classy people!)


	74. Chapter 74

_Chapter 74: our future_

The trip towards the kitchen was short and uneventful. Once I had reached it, I entered the building quietly and found myself facing Tigress who had her back to me. It seemed like she was preparing herself something which emitted a rather nice scent. I smiled and approached the feline.

"Hey, kitten, I'm back. What are you making?" I spoke catching her attention. She turned to me with a cup in her paw while she stirred the contents with a spoon. A smile spread across her mouth as the two of us shared a quick kiss.

"I just made some jasmine tea, would like me to pour you a cup?" She asked. I shook my head and rested my hands on her hips.

"Nah, I'm good, thanks. Besides, I don't believe you and I will be here for long. You and I should be heading out soon."

"I know, just allow me to finish my tea. I know I've already said this but, I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Good to hear. I was starting to get worried that you weren't and I probably would have believed that I had failed as a boyfriend." Tigress rolled her eyes at my sarcasm while I just smirked.

"You can just make a joke out of anything, can't you?" I chuckled and pulled her closer.

"Humour is an important aspect in our relationship. Though...I can certainly think of another." I growled as playfully squeezed her buttocks. Tigress yelped before smacking my chest.

"Ben!" I laughed in response.

"Hey, I wouldn't have to do something like that if you weren't so gorgeous." I said before kissing the tip of her nose.

"Of course, it's my fault. How thoughtless of me."

"Now, now, don't be so hard on yourself."

"I can't wait to spar with you tomorrow." She spoke while sipping her tea.

"Looking forward to it. But right now I'm looking forward to our date, which you and I should I be heading to. Come on, lets go."

"I said I will once I have finished my tea." She said. Before she could bring the cup to her mouth, I grabbed the cup from her grasp and downed the rest of the tea.

"Mmm, not bad."

"Ben!" Tigress exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make you some tomorrow morning, but for now, it's date time. Lets go!" I spoke aloud while taking her paw and leading her outside.

"Now I'm really looking forward to sparring with you tomorrow."

"I shudder at the thought. Hopefully tonight will make you go easy on me."

"I doubt it, though you're welcome to try. Speaking of tonight, where have you reserved our tables?"

"Yeah...about that, there's something I should tell you. You know how I told you I went down to the Valley to have some guy talk with Crane and get a chance to stretch my legs?" Tigress nodded in response. I shrugged innocently. "Well...that kinda wasn't true." Tigress looked at me with a questionable gaze.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I kinda...lied. I was down there for another reason."

"Which is...?"

"You'll find out soon enough." I replied. As the two of us continued along our way, we began to head to the peach tree, much to Tigress' confusion. When brought up into question, I told her to wait and see. And soon enough, to two of us arrived at the peach tree just in time for the sun to set and the moon to appear in the sky, illuminating everything in its sight, including the peach tree.

"Well, here we are." I announced. Tigress stepped forward and took note of a basket that rested near the tree.

"What do you mean? And what's with the basket?" She questioned as she turned back to me.

"You know how I told you I was gonna bring you to Luc's but you figured out my plans?" I asked. Tigress nodded in response. "Well, because you knew what I had planned, I had to think of something else to catch you off guard. I know you said it didn't matter what we were doing together and that as long as you're with me, that's all that matters, but, it doesn't mean I couldn't at least surprise you. And that surprise is a picnic with just you, me and the night sky." I explained. Tigress turned back to the picnic basket and then back to me with a smile.

"You keep this hidden from me this entire time?" she asked. I shrugged with a grin.

"What can I say, I'm a devious one."

"Ben...this is wonderful. You had all this planned and...thank you." She spoke softly.

"Hey, don't thank me yet, we still have to have the date first." I reminded, causing the feline to chuckle.

"Of course. Then lets begin, shall we?" I nodded as the pair of us say down and began our date. And for a long time, the two of is just...sat there, enjoying each others company and enjoyed the stuff I bought earlier today which was a large box of chocolates which we used to feed one another as well as a bottle of wine which we too shared. In short...it was just incredible. At this very moment, Tigress was sitting down with her back resting against me as we fed chocolates to one another, passed the bottle of wine back and forth and stared mesmerisingly at the majestic blanket of twilight that hovered above us. And during all this, the two of us took the time to engage in a stimulating conversation about the universe and everything around us.

"Do you think it's possible that one day peaches could take over the world?" I asked. Stimulating, like I said. Tigress laughed in response. Laughter that would have echoed throughout The Valley if she hadn't covered her mouth the muffle it. Why did she seem to find my question so amusing? Well, lets just say she's gotta a little too acquainted with that bottle of wine.

"What a ridiculous notion." She said as she continued to chuckle.

"Hey, I never said it is gonna happen, I'm just saying what if?" I pointed out.

"Well, regardless of the fact that it's a 'what it' scenario, the whole thing is still ridiculous." She rebuked.

"I believe otherwise."

"Oh really? Please, enlighten me."

"Well, first off, the idea of peaches taking over the world wouldn't cross anyone's mind so no one would see it coming. They would literally come out of nowhere!"

"Let me stop you right there. First off, I doubt the laws of nature would turn fruit into sentient beings and even if they did, why would peaches wish to usurp the world?"

"Maybe under their peachy exterior, they're sadistic and malicious beasts." My words brought a short silence between us before Tigress shook her head.

"This discussion is just idiotic."

"If you failed to notice, we've been having similar discussions for the last hour." Tigress thought for a moment before offering a response.

"You're right, I wonder my that must've slipped my mind." She questioned.

"Yeah, I wonder." I spoke while swinging the nearly empty bottle of wine in front of her face.

"If you're accusing me of being intoxicated, I can assure you I am not."

"Of course not, drunky." I said unconvinced as I finished the bottle. In response, Tigress elbowed me causing the pair of us to laugh. After our laughter died down, Tigress had repositioned herself so now she was lying down on her side as we held one another in each others arms.

"You know, I've really enjoyed myself tonight." Tigress said. I smiled as I pulled her closer.

"Ditto. It's not often you and I get an entire night to ourselves alone. It's been...incredible."

"I absolutely agree. We certainly need more nights like this one. Perhaps we could make more plans in the future?" She suggested. As I opened my mouth to speak, the word 'future' suddenly ran through my mind until my eyes widened. Goddamn, I got so caught up in our date I've completely forgotten about the topic of our future! Good job in remembering idiot. Well, I better move onto quickly before it gets too late.

"Yeah...future. Hey, look Ti there's...there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." I said, completely changing the atmosphere between us, something Tigress immediately noticed. She turned to me with her smile missing.

"What is it?" She asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I um...there was something I wanted to talk to you about earlier, but I got so caught up in our date, it slipped my mind. And it's...well, it's sort've..." I found myself tripping over my words until I was silenced by Tigress placing her paw over my hand.

"Ben, whatever it is you wish to discuss with me, please don't be afraid of telling me what it is. You know you can talk to me about anything." She assured. I stared into those beautiful orbs that showed so much sincerity until I sighed.

"Alright...okay. Ti, for the past month I've been kind've...pondering about something. To be more specific, I've been wondering about...our future."

"Our...future?"

"Yeah, I mean, you and I have been together for months now! And I'd like to think you and I are together for good."

"Of course we are. You mean the world to me, Ben. Nothing is going to change that." I smiled and rested a hand on her cheek.

"And you know I love you too, now and forever. And knowing that we're together no matter what...we...we don't even have a plan, you know?"

"Yes...I see what you mean. In truth, I too have often wondered about our future."

"Really?"

"Of course, I cannot act like its not a factor in our lives. But, it'll be alright. We'll figure it out in time; together."

"You mean that?" She nodded in response. "Well, that's good to hear you and I are on the same page now. If you want...I can tell you my idea of what I want for our future."

"Of course, we should both be open to ideas and I do wish to hear yours." Despite Tigress being opened to hear about my plan for us, the idea still made me feel little nervous to share it with her. I rubbed the back of my neck and took a deep breath.

"Well...I've sort've wondered if we could...head down to path...raising a family." I said. Tigress stared at me silently, seemingly shocked at my words.

"A family..." She whispered.

"I'm sorry. I know it seems too soon to suggest such a life for us, but I...I-"

"Ben, it's alright. Indeed the suggestion seems a little sudden...it's certainly not one to dismiss." She said, surprising me.

"Really?" I asked baffled.

"Of course. Though it might be early to presume on such a life...it's a life I believe I favour."

"Ti, to hear you say that...it really means a great deal. I know such a life would mean you would have to spend the rest of your life with someone you love...I'm just glad I'm that someone." Tigress smiled and tightened her grip on me.

"I couldn't imagine it with anyone else. I love you so much and I could defiantly spend my life with you." I pulled her closer and kissed her head.

"Me too. Though...there might be some complications with that life." I pointed out.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, to raise a family, we need a child and...you and I...we're...we're not compatible." I replied, laying down the harsh truth. Tigress sighed.

"I know. But...there's always options, such as adoption."

"Yeah, I guess. But hey, maybe we should continue this discussion another time. After all, we have plenty of time to think about it." I said.

"Of course...and Ben?"

"Yeah?" Tigress reached up and placed a paw over my cheek.

"I want you to know that whatever the future has in store for us...know that I love you from the bottom of my heart and I will stick by you no matter what." I smiled, feeling touched by her words. I reached out a placed hand on her cheek.

"I love you too, baby. I love you so much." I cupped her chin and brought my lips to hers. This kiss took her by surprise, but she soon reacted by wrapping her arms around me. I ran my hand up and down her arm while the other stroked her back. After a moment, the kiss broke and we just stared deeply into each others eyes until...we kissed again and again and again until our lips joined together in a strong lock while we ran our hands/paws up and down each others bodies. As this heavy petting continued, the kiss too began to spark in passion as her tongues came into play. I was unsure what was happening right now, but I suddenly found myself overcome with a...desire of a sort. My hands ran wildly around her body, I was pushed right up against her and our tongues wrestling in intense passion and yet...I desired more. I wanted more.

I wanted her.

My heart raced at the thought of...that. A thought I often shove aside for the fear of it being too early to take our relationship to the next level. But now...after months of being together, I figured it felt appropriate. But I had to see if she wanted this too. I couldn't continue without her consent. I freed my lips from hers and I began to breath heavily as did she.

"Ben...why did...why did you stop?" She asked a while catching breath.

"Ti, are you...do" target="_blank"you...do you want this to...get more serious?" I asked.

"What...what do you mean?"

"I mean do you...do you want to make love?" I asked with flustering cheeks. My question too prompted flustering cheeks from the feline.

"Oh...I...I.."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I just-we were enjoying that so much I thought you and I-"

"It's alright, I understand. I just...I never meant for this to...turn into..." Tigress paused and sighed before her eyes settled on me. "Ben, I'm sorry if you interpreted this as...it's just I'm...I'm-"

"Not ready?" I asked. She nodded in response. "Hey, it's alright, I understand. I didn't mean to presume, it's just...you and I have been together for months and...I just love you so much and I thought you might've wanted to take our relationship to the next level."

"I do. Just...not now."

"That's okay, I can wait. We'll take it to the next level when you are ready, no earlier and no later." I assured.

"I appreciate your understanding and patience. When the time is right, I will tell you. And believe me..." Tigress smiled as she brought her mouth to my ear and whispered her final words. "It'll be worth the wait." I could feel spark of excitement rise inside me at her words as I smirked.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now, how about you and I continue the rest of our date?" I proposed.

"I would like that."

(There we go folks, the second and last part of the Valentines chapters. Now with that over and done with it, I can finally move onto the final section of my story and put an end to it. I'm not sure how many chapters are left but there's plenty to write so I better get started as soon as I can. Until then, I bid you ado and I hoped you enjoyed reading this chapter and don't forget to review!)


	75. Chapter 75

_Chapter 75: approval_

Three months have passed since Valentines day and like always, I have much to say about what has happened during that time. Since the talk Ti and I have had about our future, the topic has surfaced more than once over the course of the three months. We talked for hours on end on what exactly what we should do. Though it was still too early to set a goal just yet...the ideas were still welcome. But, the one that always stood out and the one we favoured the most seemed to be always our first choice. I am of course speaking about having a family. The pair of us spoke specifically on this idea more than others. We'd often talk about finding a home and...adopting ourselves a little cub, but only when when the pair of us grow older. Right now we still have our youth and we planned on enjoying it until the pair of us turn old and grey. And with things going the way they are, I hope it's safe to say Ti and I were going to be together for a very long time. Which is something I'm truly grateful for. But like I said it's still too early to talk about this. Still...the thought of that life...it brought a smile to my face and I'm certain you can understand why. But...even though it seemed like such a happy thought...it also shared some sadness. I haven't easily forgotten my talk with Crane either. What he said still runs through my mind from time to time. I never even considered the idea that one of us or even all of us might have to go our separate ways to pursue our future. And even though it wouldn't end in a final goodbye...the thought was still upsetting. But I'm getting upset about a bridge that's in no way ready to be crossed. Anyway, enough about that, time to get back on track.

Today, like most others days recently, was calm and quiet. For quite a while things seemed to be that way. Bandit raids and crime in general seemed very low. As a result, it's given everyone a chance to get some time to themselves and to just...relax, something we rarely get a chance to do. Though we still kept up with our training and meditation, like we should. Like we are doing at the moment. It was Thursday and it was nearing the late afternoon. At this very moment, we were all in the training hall giving Po some support during his training session. He seemed to be struggling but his eyes were filled with determination which fuelled him to press on against his struggle.

"Come on, big guy you can do it!" Monkey cheered.

"Thirty-six!" We all exclaimed.

"Don't give up, Po, you're nearly there!" Crane cheered.

"Thirty-seven!" We all exclaimed once more.

"One more and you'll set a new record!" I said. What exactly was he doing that earned so much encouragement. Well, as I speak Po was pushing himself to the limit to break the record of...holding as many bean buns in his mouth as possible. Hard at training like I said. We've been training all morning and we decided to give ourselves a little break. And that break consisted of us watching Po trying to break his record for holding as many bean beans in his mouth at once. As we chanted his name, he brought a pair of chopsticks that held a single bean bun to his mouth and struggled to find room in his mouth for it. We all leaned in and watched has the big bear battle to find a spot and after a moment of struggle...he did it! He brought the pair of chopsticks he was using down on the table he was sitting at.

"Thirty-eight bean buns!" He announced with his mouth completely stuffed. We all cheered.

"Unbelievable you did it! You beat your record!" Monkey exclaimed.

"You beast!" Mantis said.

"Think I can hit forty?" Po asked spewing spit as he spoke, ew.

"Do it, buddy!" I encouraged.

"There's no way he can do it!" Mantis doubted.

"Ten yuan says he can." I wagered. He stuck his front leg took which I shook.

"You're on!"

"Come on, Po, you can do it!" I cheered. He took a second pair of chopsticks and grabbed two more bean buns and brought them to his mouth. He placed each one on the pile that rested is his mouth and struggled to get them to fit inside his mouth. He muffled and grunted as each one of us stared in disbelief at this whole scene. I mean Jesus, how does one guy fit that much bean buns in his mouth?! He continued to grunt before he finally managed to fit the last two in his mouth.

"Forty!" He yelled! We all gave a loud cheer once again.

"You're a fricking legend, Po!" Monkey said. Crane made his way around the table with a smile.

"Well done, Po!" He congratulated before patting his back. A pat that was hard enough for Po to cough out the contents from his mouth. Being quick to react, I shielded my face from being hit by a bean bun with my arm as did Tigress with a paw while the others ducked aside for Mantis who was struck square in the face. I set my eyes on the bug who laid on the ground dazed.

"You owe me ten yuan." I said to Mantis while laughing. He groaned in annoyance.

"I'll pay you later..." He mumbled. Shortly after he said that, the gong that awakens us in the morning could be heard echoing throughout the training hall.

"Oh, Master Shifu." Po spoke up while heading for the exit. "Sorry guys, gotta go! I'll see you later!"

"Well, that was fun. But I guess we should all get back to training. Wouldn't want Master Shifu to think we're slacking off." Viper suggested.

"Yeah no kidding. You up for some sparring, babe?" I asked Ti while stretching. A grin appeared on her face as the cracked her knuckles.

"Looks like someone is a glutton for defeat." She taunted while we headed towards an open area to spar.

"Hey you never know, I just might beat your ass this time." I retorted. I faced Ti with my form up as did she.

"Not even with luck on your side." She shot back.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." And with that, I took the first swing. I threw a number of punches and kicks which were easily deflected. Then she took her chance to attack earning the same result. From there we continued to exchange light blows to one another as my mind began to convey a thought. An important one that I should have brought up with TI. Though in my defence I was preoccupied with training. But now with the pair of us together and given a little but of privacy, my thought soon turned into words.

"Hey, Ti, there's something I've been meaning to lay on you." I spoke up. I blocked a punch she threw before she took a step back and receded her attacks.

"Oh? And what would that be?" She asked before we continued to spar.

"Well, you know how you and I have been talking about our future since Valentines Day?"

"I'm hardly going to forget that easily. After all, the topic is often brought up." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I bring it up so much. It's just something that worries me, you know?"

"Like I said before; don't allow it to worry you. I too wish to dwell deeper in the topic of of future, but as of now, there's no need. We have so much time to plan it so please relax." She spoke softly. Shame her array of punches and kicks couldn't be soft either. While we both talked, I noticed the sparring began to heat up as the both of us started to fight more aggressively to try and win.

"I know, you're right I shouldn't worry, but I do. But I won't let it consume me, I promise you. But...going back to my original question that I was going to ask does relate to our future and surprisingly it's one we haven't discussed about yet."

"And what would that be?"

"Your dad."

...

The sparring soon ceased as we both faced one another silently.

"My father?" She questioned.

"Yes, you're dad. You know, Master Shifu?" I spoke sarcastically. My snide tone that earned a few hard punches. Ow!

"What about him?" Ti asked as we returned to sparring.

"Is that a rhetorical question? I mean, do I really need to spell out what exactly I'm on about?"

"Would you just elaborate?"

"I've been dating you for months and I've hardly gotten any feedback from him. I don't even know if he approves of us being together. I don't even even know if he approves of me!." As I finished speaking, a punch I had thrown was caught by the feline and she used this to end to fight. She pulled my arm towards her and flipped me over her shoulder before bringing me onto the ground. Before I could act in any way to feline was on me, pinning me down by my wrists and evidently winning the match. She stared silently at me for sometime, maintaining a serious expression before finally speaking up.

"You can be an idiot sometimes, you know that?" Well, that was uncalled for. "How can you think for a moment that he doesn't approve of us?" She asked before she softened. She freed my wrists from her grasp and instead grabbed a hold of my hands and held them tightly. "Or of you?" I sighed and averted my eyes.

"I dunno...I guess there's some part of me that thinks that way..." I whispered before my eyes returned to her.

"Well do me a favour and deliver a swift beating to that part. Of course he approves of us and you. If he didn't, do you believe you and I would be having this discussion?"

"I guess not...I suppose I'm just over thinking, sorry."

"I understand. But let me ask you something. Why is this question only bothering you now?" She asked. I sighed and gently stroked her paws.

"It's just that...you and I plan to be together for sometime and...well, somewhere down that line, I'd imagine you and I are gonna...make it official." I replied. I allowed her to think for a moment before she replied.

"Are you referring to...marriage?" She asked. I smiled and nodded. A grin spread across her face. "And what would give you the impression that I would marry you?" She teased. I freed my hands from her paws and squeezed her sides, eliciting a chuckle from the feline.

"I dunno, maybe because you love me to bits." I answered. Tigress smiled before taking my hand and kissing it.

"Of course I do. Maybe one day will make it official..."

"Yeah, one day. But the thing is if that day should come, I'd like to know if I have Shifu's blessing."

"I guess you'll have to ask him about this if you wish to receive an answer, wont you?"

"Yeah...I guess so. As soon as he's done talking to Po, I'll talk to him myself about all this." I promised. Tigress smiled in response.

"Good." She said before placing a kiss on my lips. She climbed off of me and helped me to my feet.

"Thanks, kitten, I'm so glad I have you to look out for me."

"Always."

"You ready for round two? I'm pretty sure I can beat you this time."

"Confidants or foolishness? It's difficult to tell with you." She mocked. Before either one of us could throw the first swing, the doors of the training hall flung open and a panicking Zeng burst in.

"M-masters, there are bandits heading for The Musicians village!" He exclaimed. Everyone gathered to the entrance of the hall once he was finished speaking.

"Bandits? Now we're talking! I was getting a little bored laying around here." Mantis said.

"We should head there immediately. Crane, you come with me to collect Po. We'll meet the rest of you at the village." Tigress ordered. We all nodded and began to head out. I guess that talk with Shifu will have to wait.

(Well, here we go folks; The beginning of the end. This is the first chapter of the last act of my story. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you stick with me till the fat lady sings. Don't forget to review!)


	76. Chapter 76

_Chapter 76: blessing_

Once we heard that The Musicians village was about to be under attack, we all left with haste, aside for Tigress and Crane who split from us to fetch Po. The rest of us sped off towards to village at an incredible speed. We haven't had a bandit attack in sometime, this'll certainly spice this day up a bit.

"So what will it be this time? First to beat fifteen bandits wins?" Monkey proposed to Mantis.

"Fifteen? What's the matter, can't go for twenty?" Mantis taunted.

"Feeling cocky, huh? Alright, twenty it is." He agreed.

"Well, while you two idiots are busy trying to win a bet, the rest of us will ensure the village's safety." I butted in.

"You're probably just saying that because you wouldn't win a bet against me." Mantis mocked.

"Don't you owe me ten yuan from an earlier bet?" I retorted. I saw his mouth open and I presumed he was going to reply with his own witty remark. Unfortunately for him the only sound to escape his mouth was an almost inaudible grumble.

"Will you boys focus? We have a village to protect." Viper spoke up.

"Right, sorry." Monkey said. As we continued along our path, our attention was soon caught by a certain someone announcing his arrival.

"Whoooohooo!" Po howled. He was being flown in by Crane who held his with his talons. As Crane swooped down towards us he released Po who in return tuck and rolled across the ground and ran alongside us. Shorty after their arrival, I saw Ti catch up from behind and joined the rest of us.

"Nice of you to join us." I said.

"Well I would I have arrived earlier but I was carrying some baggage." Crane pointed out.

"Fair enough."

"So what we got this time? Boars? Ox's?" Crane asked.

"Only one way to find out. Lets make an entrance!" Po exclaimed as he dashed forward with the rest of us following closely as we neared the village. He released a battle cry as he dove off the cliff we travelled on. Crane swooped down after him as the rest of us skid down the cliff and caught up with the avian and the panda. Once we had almost descended to the bottom of the cliff, the village soon came into view. Though it seemed a bit far away, I could make out a large number, of what looked like wolves, collecting a large clump of items that were ready to be transported. Shame we gotta crash the party. With one final leap we all landed into the village, each of us taking up our defensive forms while staring down our targets. The villagers cheered at our arrival as the wolves growled at our presence.

"The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Six!" A bunny spoke. The same bunny was being held by a rather grim looking wolf. He had a very distinct appearance compared to the other wolves. For one, he was rather bulkier as well as a few features such as packing more fur and having a scarred eye. A logical guess could could see that he was the leader of this pack of wolves. He seemed to be staring specifically at Po for a short time before growling.

"A panda? Impossible..." I heard him mutter to himself.

"My fist hungers for justice." Po said while clenching his paw. As if on cue, he stomach rumbled. "That was uh...my fist."

"Get them all!" The alpha wolf ordered. His entire pack drew their weapons and attacked without hesitation.

"Like we agreed, first to twenty wins!" Mantis yelled as he leapt forward and began his attack.

"Lets do this!" I yelled. We all spilt up and started to take down these wolves. Each wolf dispersed at began to attack each one of us. I had two rushing towards me with the weapons ready to strike. I took a stance and awaited for them to come into arms reach. Once the first one was within my range, I stepped to the side as he swung his sword. He swung it at me again while the other wolf joined in. With each swing of their weapon, I dodged them swiftly until I saw an opening. I grabbed the hilt of the first wolfs sword and twisted back, effectively bending the wolfs paw back causing him to screech in pain. The second wolf took his chances and tried to bring his sword down on me. With my empty hand, I reached out and grabbed his sword, repeating my actions with the first wolf. With both of them now vulnerable, I quickly grabbed the back of each of their heads and smashed them together, resulting in the two flopping to the ground unconscious. I smiled triumphantly before moving onto my next opponent. Through the large clump of fighting, I noticed Po dropping one wolf after the other but it looked like he would soon become overwhelmed. I quickly fought my way to him.

"Po, spinning pinwheel attack!" I shouted as he propelled a wolf away using his belly. He turned to me and then to the large clump of wolves rushing towards him. He turned back to me and nodded. I threw myself at him with my hands reaching for him. He grabbed me mid-flight and swung me in a full circle, allowing me to drop wolf after wolf using my feet. Once I had completed a full circle, I landed on my feet and it was my turn to swing Po. I spun the bear in a full circle, allowing him to finish off to last few wolves that were left standing. Once Po had dropped back onto his feet, the pair of us gazed over our handy-work before chest-bumping one other.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" I cheered. The pair of us stood side by side as we continued to kick some furry ass along with the help of our family.

"Viper!" Po shouted with his arm stretched out towards a wolf. Viper slithered up his body and launched herself off his arm towards the wolf, wrapping herself around his face and bringing him to the ground.

"Ti!" I shouted. I punched a wolf into the gut, causing him to bend over and hold his abdomen in pain. I bent forward, allowing Ti to cartwheel over my back, grab the wolf by the head and chuck him through the air. Po and I called upon the others, one at a time before we took down the final wolf.

"You should have known you weren't a worthy match for our awesomeness!" Po exclaimed. After each wolf dropped like a bowling pin, I could sense that the rest of the pack were ready to retreat. I saw the alpha wolf howl towards the mountains behind him. Almost immediately, I noticed the large clumps of items they we're stealing (which I found out were a massive amount of metal) was being raised up some sort of zipline that the wolves must've used to perform their raid on the village. The coils of rope that was wrapped around each pile tightened and was beginning to be lifted towards the mountain. As one pile began to be taken away, a cry for help could be heard emitting from it.

"There's someone inside that pile!" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry, I'm on it!" Crane assured. He took flight and flew towards the pile that was now dangerously hanging over an almost endless abyss below. I saw Po punch the alpha wolf across the face before slamming him to the ground by his tail. Then he turned back to us with a smirk.

"You guys ready for 'The Steel Chain'?" He asked with a smirk. What is that you ask? Well, 'The Steel Chain' consisted each of of us grabbing a hold of one another and creating a long link, or chain in this case. And considering what was about to happen, it seems the situation is calling for it. I stretched my arms and smirked back at him.

"Ready." All eyes were set on Crane as he disconnected the rope from the mountain. The large pile of clumped up metal began to fall with the sound of the person within screaming.

"All right, lets do this!" Po yelled as he leapt off solid ground and aimed for the clump of metal objects. Once he had jumped, Viper followed after him, then Monkey. As Po grabbed the clump of metal objects, Viper coiled herself around his foot and extended her tail out for Monkey to grab. In turn, Ti grabbed his tail and buried her feet into the guard. As she began to pulled by the force of the linked chain, I gripped her tail and with our combined strength, we pulled the others onto solid ground along with the trapped villager. And just like that, the village was safe.

"Are you all alright? Is everyone safe?" Po asked the villagers who were watching us in awe. They all gathered in a group and cheered at our victory. Each of us gazed over the crowd to see if anyone was injured. And during our little survey for the wounded, I saw the alpha wolf Po slammed to the ground rush towards us with his large hammer ready to strike. I raised my fists and was about to take him down but I was halted by Po.

"Don't worry, I got 'em." He assured. I gave a nod and crossed my arms, awaiting for the show to begin. The wolf pulled his hammer back as he growled while Po pulled his fist back. This'll be good. The wolf swung his hammer and I waited for Po to take his ass down. But...he didn't. He didn't move a muscle. It's almost as if he just...froze.

"Po!" I exclaimed. I leapt forward in an attempt to stop him from being struck by the hammer but it was too late. As the hammer connected with his face, he was blown back along with me. I tumbled across the ground along with Po who had a hard landing, sending nearby villagers flying.

"Ha! See you later, fatboy!" The wolf gloated before he hopped onto the final pile of metal and escaped. I sat up and shook my head back into focus. I turned towards Po as he was tossed aside by Mantis due to him being crushed by the big bear. I crawled over to Po with worry coming over me.

"Po? Po are you alright?" I asked. I got in front of him and began to take note of his condition. He was rubbing his cheek while staring blankly at the spot the alpha stood. Thankfully, he didn't look too banged up. "Po, are you okay?" I asked once again. After a short moment of silence, he nodded.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm okay..." He whispered. I turned his head towards me and focused his attention solely on me.

"Po, what happened? I thought you had him?" I said. He lowered his head and his face seemed to be searching desperately for the correct words to use.

"I...I just...I think I saw..." He paused before standing up. "I...I gotta go." He spoke while taking off.

"Po! Po wait!" I called after him. But he didn't listen. He continued to run until he was out of site. What the hell was that about? Po has never frozen up like that in battle before. What caused him to stop all of a sudden. I better go after him and see what's up. I turned back to the others who seemed to be talking amongst themselves about what just happened.

"Guys, can you make this village is completely safe without me? I gotta go after him and see what's up."

"Of course. Go after him and make sure you get an answer from him." Viper said. I nodded and took off after Po. After an uneventful run, I found myself back at The Valley, where I presumed Po had returned. I could only assume he's back up at Palace, which is where I was heading to. As I walked through the Valley's streets, I gave an occasional hello to passing Villagers who happily offered one back. After walking for a short time, I find myself walking last Mr Pings restaurant. I stopped for a brief moment and peeked inside. The place (like usual) was brimming with happy customers. What can you say, Mr Ping has some of the finest food in The Valley. I gazed past the crowd of customers and into the kitchen. Inside the kitchen was the goose himself; Mr Ping. He seemed to be talking to someone...wait...Po? I narrowed my eyes and focused on the figured Mr Ping was speaking to and indeed it was Po. Well, it's a good thing I didn't head up to the Palace immediately. As I was about to head inside to speak with him, I noticed that he seemed have finished talking with his father and was now heading for the exit. I leaned up against the wall outside and crossed my arms. After a short moment passed, I saw Po exit his fathers restaurant and began heading for the Palace.

"Going somewhere?" I asked. Po spun around quickly and locked his eyes on me.

"Ben! Hey, uh...what are you doing here?" He asked nervously, forcing a smile as he did. I pulled away from the wall and approached the panda with a stern look.

"You know hey I'm here. Why did you run off like that? What happened back there?" I asked. He scratched his head cluelessly.

"Back where? Oh heh, you mean back at The Musicians Village? Pfft, that-that was nothing. The sun was just you know, in my eyes and a think I little dust got in there too. Come to think of it, I have been kinda been feeling tired so that might have had something-"

"Po!" I Interjected, immediately silencing him. "I know you're lying, so tell me the truth; now." I demanded. Po sighed.

"Look, it was nothing, okay? Don't worry about it..." He replied before he turned and began walking away. I caught up and walked beside him as we headed towards the Palace.

"Po, I know something's wrong, just tell me what it is. You know you can tell me anything." I assured. He stopped in his tracks as he turned to me. I smiled to show I was sincere which seemed to finally make him spill the beans. He sighed once again before we continued walking.

"Okay...okay. Back there I just...something happened. Well it's more like I...saw something." He began to explain.

"Saw something? What did you see?"

"I think...I think I saw...my mom." I said. His words earned a moment of silence as I took in the information. His mom? He saw his mom? As far as I know, Mr Ping has never been married so the only mother Po could be referring to...

"Wait, you mean...you saw your biological mother?" I enquired. Po nodded in response.

"Yeah, it was...weird. That wolf who hammered me across the face, he had some weird symbol on his shoulder and when I saw it...I saw her. I don't know what the symbol means or what it has to do with my mom. But when I saw I her I just...froze."

"That certainly explains a lot."

"Well yes and no. Yes because you now know how I got hammer across my face. No because...it's still a lot to take in. I don't even know what to make of it..." Po said while shaking his head. Man, I didn't see this coming at all. I could only imagine how Po's taking all this in. I threw my arm over his shoulder to provide comfort.

"Po, I know this may all seem like a lot to take in but don't worry, you'll figure it out in time. Just don't go overwhelming yourself by thinking too much about it. Just try and stay focused, okay?" I said. He nodded.

"Yeah, I will. I'll just think things out first and then...work out what I'm going to do with this information. Maybe I can...find out who I am and where I came from. But...I don't have a lot to go on. I asked my dad about it and he doesn't know much. All he could tell me was that he found me in a radish crate in an alley behind his shop and...that's it."

"That certainly is not a whole lot to go on. But don't worry about it. We'll figure it out, alright?" I assured. Po turned to me with a smile.

"Yeah. Thanks Ben."

"Hey no problem, what's a-ooof!" I found myself cut off mid-sentence due to my lungs being choked of air because of Po hugging me tightly. "Yeah, I love you too, buddy." I squeaked out. Once Po released me from his grasp, I inhaled deeply before I was allowed to continue breathing normally. At this point, the pair of us had reach the top of the Palace stairs with the sun nearing over the horizon.

"It looks like it's gonna get dark soon. I better get dinner started. You wanna continue talking in the kitchen?" Po asked. As I was about to say yes, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Well, more of a reminder. I had just recalled that I was supposed to talk to Shifu earlier but I was distracted with...you know, protecting a village. And I'd rather have this talk sooner rather than later.

"I'd like to but I can't. I gotta to talk to Shifu about something. I'll be with you in a while though." I replied.

"Oh, okay then. See you soon." He said before heading to the kitchen. I then took off towards...well actually I don't really know where Shifu is. Guess I'll have to look around the Palace. To not bore you with the details of searching for Shifu, I'll skip right onto when I found him. He resided inside the training hall at the far end. With so little light being projected into the hall, his source of light was a dozen candles which he seemed to be meditating in front of. I probably should mention that I am extremely nervous to speak about Ti and I to him. This could go more than one way and I hope it goes the way I want it to. I swallowed nervously and crept into the hall. As I drew closer towards my master, I began to plan out what exactly I was going to say. Before I could conclude that train of thought, my presence was soon noticed.

"Who's there?" Shifu asked without turning.

"It's me, Master Shifu." I replied. His ear twitched as I spoke and once I was finished, he turned to me with a smile.

"Ah, Ben, if you have returned I assume the matter in the Musicians Village has been dealt with?"

"Yes. We managed to save the village, but I'm afraid the leader who orchestrated the raid got away."

"A small loss compared to what was gained. The villagers safety comes first."

"They didn't seem interested in the Villagers. In fact, the only items they seem to have stolen was metal."

"Just metal? No other valuables?" I shook my head. "Mmmm...that is very strange. No matter, the situation has been put to rest. I'll have word out to search for the stolen goods. Is that all you have come to talk to me about?" He enquired.

"Well...no. There's is something I've been meaning to discuss with you, but I never got the chance until now. It's a...personal matter." I spoke while rubbing the back of my neck. I saw Shifu study my demeanour before he replied.

"I sense that you are nervous. Please don't be; I am your Master, it is my duty to protect and care for my students. Whatever it is you wish to discuss, please do not be afraid to share it with me." Man he seemed...really sincere. Needless to say, I was certainly put at ease.

"I appreciate your willingness to hear me out, Master."

"Of course. Now, come; sit." He spoke while gesturing to an open spot beside him. I dropped down into my knees and then say with my legs crossed. "Now, what is this personal matter you wish to discuss with me?"

"It's...about Tigress. Well, more specifically, it's about Tigress and I." I explained.

"What about you two?"

"You know that I love your daughter from the bottom of my heart. She means everything to me and I would gladly give my life for her. Things between us have gotten more serious over the last couple of months and with that said, I hope it's safe to assume we're going to be together for a long time." I paused at that moment to get his reaction. His face just remained the same since the conversation had began. Some sort of a reaction would be informative.

"I'm aware you two care deeply for one another and neither of you exhibit signs of planning to leave each another at any point so it does not surprise me. Is this what you wished to discuss with me? What exactly about this poses as an issue?" He questioned.

"Well...it's so much as an issue, it's more of me wanting some...clarification." I explained. He raised a brow.

"Clarification? On what exactly?"

"Well...you. As her father, I'd imagine you would want only the best for her. After all, it is a fathers duty to assure their children can live a happy life. And I was wondering...if" target="_blank"wondering...if you believe I can give her that. Because, somewhere down the line, I'd like to think her I will...get married." I paused once again to get a reaction and this time, I got one. His eyes shifted slightly as an ear twitched.

"Ah...I see..." He whispered.

"Yeah...and with that said, I was wondering...if I had your approval and blessing, if it does come to that." Silence ensued once I had finished speaking of the apprehension that had been extinguished, began to return. His blank expression and and silence started to make it seem I should've kept my mouth shout. But after a moment of silence, he sighed and turned his gaze ahead of him.

"To answer that question, I believe I must explain something you did not know. When you began training here, I had planned to expel you from the Palace after the first few days." He explained. Expel me? Wait really?

"You were?" I questioned. He nodded in response. "Well, I guess I see why. I didn't exactly seem worthy of being here."

"I thought so too, at the time. I only considered allowing you to train here due to Crane insisting. He told me how you saved his life from a bandit and assisted in apprehending him. Crane reminded me that bravery was a rare quality to find in a person. It's not often someone is willing to put himself in a dangerous situation to aid others. So, I decided to take you in. And well...I certainly believed I had made a mistake. Your performance during training was...how you would say-"

"Crap?"

"Blunt but certainly accurate." He said. I chuckled while he smiled. "I watched you train and I believed I had made a mistake allowing you to train here and so I figured the only solution would be to expel you."

"What changed your mind?"

"Oogway. He convinced me that you should be given a chance to prove you had what it takes to be a warrior. I had always trusted his judgement but in this instance...I was skeptical. I was unsure as to whether or not I was right in letting you stay. And of course, I was proven wrong. You not only managed to end the situation with Han-Shi but you have also proven to be a an honourable and capable warrior. One I am personally proud of. You're a valuable asset to the Jade Palace and you make my daughter happy and in turn it makes me happy. To answer your question, you have my absolute approval and my blessing." Wow I'm uh...I'm shocked. I never knew I was going to he expelled from training here. All of this might not have happened of it wasn't for Oogway. Man, I love that turtle. I only hope where ever he is he knows that I am eternally grateful for everything he's done for me.

"Thank you, Master. Thank you so much. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make her happy for as long as we're together."

"I know you will. Now, you should head to the kitchen. I've no doubt Po has finished preparing dinner for you all." He suggested. I nodded and stood up.

"Of course. And again, thank you." I bowed before leaving. Man oh man I feel amazing. I really wasn't sure how that would go and just...wow I'm so happy. I now have his approval and blessing. Things seem to be looking up for me and Ti. I can only picture a bright future ahead for the both of us and I was looking forward to it.


	77. Chapter 77

_Chapter 77: set a course for Gongmen City_

I groaned aloud as my eyes fluttered opened. I rubbed each eye, allowing my vision to focus. I sat up on my bed and stretched my arms. As I began to dress myself, the events of yesterday circled my mind. Dinner wasn't exactly worth mentioning, hence why I left it out, but everything beforehand was. Mainly the situation with Po. We kept this whole him seeing his mother thing between us due to Po wishing to keep it on the down-low for the time being. I suppose I can understand why. The pair of us discussed a little more about it after dinner but nothing was said that changed the situation. Po was just...confused, as I'd imagine he would be. I mean, how would you react to suddenly seeing a vision of your long lost mother after so many years? And to top it all off, he also has to focus on trying to achieving his inner peace. Now that's something I haven't heard about in a while. I first heard about it shortly after the situation with Han-Shi had been dealt with. Oogway had told me it was time for me to begin my own path into achieving inner peace. Although it wasn't successful first time, I have been trying to achieve it to this day. Apparently the only ways to achieve inner peace was to either mediate in a cave in solitude for fifty years without food or water, which to be honest doesn't seem like my first choice for obvious reasons. The other way is through pain and suffering. Which...begs the question why I couldn't to begin with. I mean...I endured years of sadness after my mothers death so I don't know why that wouldn't be sufficient. I guess I'm just not ready. But clearly I'm straying off here, I apologise.

Well, it was the start to a brand new day and Po and I had plenty of time to talk about his situation. That's if we're not interrupted by something. But hey, maybe we'll get lucky. As I fastened my vest up, I waited by my door for the morning gong. After waiting silently for a short time, I heard it being rung. I rushed out of my room, standing to attention along with the others and kept my eyes forward.

"Good morning, Master." We all greeted in unison. Master Shifu eyed each of us before he smiled.

"Good morning, my students. A long day of training is ahead so I suggest you all head to the kitchen for breakfast immediately. I will-"

"M-master Shifu." A voice suddenly interrupted. We all turned to see Zeng standing with his wings held together.

"Yes Zeng? Is there something you require?" Shifu asked.

"There is a messenger from Gongmen City requesting your presence inside the Hall of Warriors. He said it is an emergency." Zeng replied. An emergency? I hope it's not too dire.

"Mmmm...I see." Shifu uttered before turning to us. "Students, proceed to the kitchen. I'll meet you all in the training hall after breakfast." He spoke before leaving alongside Zeng.

"An emergency, huh? And from Gongmen City no less." Viper spoke up as we all left the bunkhouse.

"What do you thinks up?" Monkey asked.

"Not sure. The masters council can usually handle any problem on their own so...whatever's up, it must be dire." Crane said. While they all began to speculate as to what was happening over in Gongmen City, I walked alongside Po who walked behind the group and stayed silent on the current topic of discussion. He seemed to be zoned out and unaware that I was next to him. I nudged the panda to catch his attention.

"Hey, Po." I spoke up. He shook his head and focused himself.

"Oh, hey, Ben. Is something up?"

"I should be asking you that. You looked a little out of there for a moment. You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, just...just thinking about stuff."

"You mean the stuff about yesterday?" I enquired. He nodded in response. "I don't suppose you've come up with plan on what to do."

"I...well, sorta. I mean I suppose the next thing that I think I should do is look for my mom. I mean, she's gotta be out there somewhere right? I just don't know where..." He pondered. I patted his back and smiled.

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time to figured out where we might find your mother. We'll search all of China if that's what it takes." Po's smile deepened at my words.

"Thanks, Ben."

"Don't mention it. But Po...I gotta know something. This whole thing could divide your attention. Will you be able to to follow your everyday routine and have your mind focused on your situation?"

"Pfft, are you kidding? I'm the Dragon Warrior! I can handle it, trust me." I chuckled and patted his back once again.

"Good to see this whole thing hasn't brought down your spirit."

"Hey, nothing keeps the big guy down, you know that!"

"I know. And it's that unbreakable spirit that binds us all."

"Well how about this unbreakable panda whip us all up a breakfast to die for?"

"Our stomachs will thank you." I joked, earning a chuckle from him. As we all proceeded into the kitchen, Po and Viper began to prepare breakfast for us all while the rest of us continued to discuss this topic on what the messenger from Gongmen City was here to inform us of.

"I'm telling you, there's gotta be something wrong. I mean, they sent a messenger all the way to the palace and requested Shifu specifically." Mantis speculated.

"That certainly seems to be case. But what's the emergency?" Crane asked.

"Maybe the Masters Council are having trouble with something they can't deal with alone." I suggested.

"Maybe one of them have taken ill." Monkey added.

"I'm afraid...it's much more dire..." A voice suddenly spoke out of nowhere. All eyes turned towards the source of the voice and each of us found Shifu standing at the me of the table with an open scroll in his grasp.

"What do you mean, Master? What's happened?" Viper asked. Shifu set his eyes on the scroll he carried.

"Master Thundering Rhino...has been murdered." The entire room fell silent as each of us took in this information. Master Thundering Rhino...is dead?! Murdered no less! All this speculation and none of us were prepared for the real answer. I can't believe it, a true master of kung fu, practically an unstoppable force...was killed? By who?!

"THEE Master Thundering Rhino?! Killed?!" Po asked for clarification. Shifu shut his eyes and nodded. "B-but how?! He's a master of kung fu, how could anyone defeat him?!"

"Much less kill him. He's a walking brick wall, there's no possible fighter alive that could beat him." Mantis added.

"He's was not killed by a mere fighter. His murderer was Lord Shen. He has returned to Gongmen City with a weapon unlike any other this world has seen. The rest of this letter has also told me that he has taken over the city with an army of wolves and is currently concocting a machination to take over China." Tigress shot up from her seat and brought her fists down on the table.

"We will not allow that to happen. He must be brought to justice!" She exclaimed.

"Damn right, we gotta take his ass down!" Mantis chimed in.

"And so you will. Each of you will be prepared to leave within the hour. You are all heading to Gongmen City to deliver justice to Lord Shen and to liberate the city. I suggest you all prepare at once." Shifu said before taking his leave. We were all left in silence to take all of this in. Goddamn...how could everything turn completely upside down in such a short time? It was obvious what we had to do and we all agreed to get right to it. Once we all finished a relatively short breakfast, we headed to the bunkhouse to pack some essentials such as a sleeping mat and other items. Packing didn't take long for me so I decided to head into Ti's room and ask a couple of questions. Like who the hell is this Lord Shen guy? The name sounds somewhat familiar. I believe I either read a passage that mentioned his name or someone might of said his name. Either way, I wasn't exactly knowledgable on our target and I'd like to know who exactly we'll be bringing to justice. I exited my room and knocked gently on Ti's.

"Come in." I heard her say. I entered her room and saw her rolling up a sleeping mat before she focused her attention on me. "Ben, hello. Is there something you need?" She asked while taking a seat on her bed. I leaned up against her door and crossed my arms.

"Yeah there is. Back in the kitchen Shifu said that a guy called 'Lord Shen' was the one who killed Master Thundering Rhino. You guys seem like you know who he is as well...I don't. You think you can tell me a little about him? I'd like to know my enemy before going in to face him." Tigress sighed and rested he paws on her laps.

"Alright, you might want to be ready to take in a lot of information, because this is quite a tale." Tigress suggested. I headed over towards and sat down beside her. "Long ago Gongmen City was ruled over by a peacock family. They were kind and generous to their people and in return, the people adored them and swore their absolute loyalty to them. The peacocks even gifted China with the invention of fireworks."

"They invented fireworks? Cool."

"Yes, anyway, they ruled for many years until their son...Shen, began trying to use fireworks for darker purposes. Trying in many ways to weaponise them. Unlike his parents, he possessed a dark heart that lead him to...slaughter an entire village."

"Wait...really?" I asked. Tigress nodded. "Jesus..."

"Needless to say, his parents were horrified by his actions which led to his banishment. But according to many people, he swore that he would return one day and make all of China bend their knee to him. Of course, the banishment of their only son took its toll of the peacocks. Their very lives deteriorated until the pair of them eventually died. It's was then that the Masters Council was established and swore to protect the city and uphold the peacocks memories. But of course, this was many, many years ago. No one has seen or heard of Shen...until now..." As she finished, I took my time to process this information. Man, that was quite tale and one I'm surprised I haven't heard about before. And this Shen guy...I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. So many people so easily brand people has heartless villains but...I don't. I still remembered Han-Shi. Many people cursed his name whenever it was spoken but when I realised why he did what he did...I could only feel sorry for him. He was just a broken man in need of guidance and...in the end, I guess he got it. But that doesn't mean I will stand for what they do. Regardless of how terrible life treats you, you gotta bounce back and stand above it. It's what I did and it's what I'm continuing to do. If you don't...then the world will shape you into a villain. Turning you into something you probably once fought against.

"Damn, that's eh...quite a tale." I said.

"Indeed. One of which I thought was finished. Yet here we are going to finish it right now..." Tigress spoke, falling into a hush whisper. She turned her gaze away and sighed.

"Hey, is something wrong?" I asked, noticing the shift in her demeanour. She turned back to me and placed a paw over my hand.

"This is the first big threat we've had in a long time. And it's one we're all blind to. Shen was able to singlehandedly kill one of the greatest kung fu masters in history. Whatever this weapon he has is...it is something we have no idea how to deal before going in to stop him and it could kill us all."

"Kill us? I don't think so. We've been through thick and thin together and we're not about to let some psychotic peacock take us out."

"We can't be certain what to expect. It could go good or it could go...bad..." Tigress paused for a moment before squeezing my hand tightly. "For the first time in a long time...I'm scared. But not for my safety, for all of yours. Those...wonderful people out there...they are my family. I care for each of them. To lose just one of them...it would hurt me deeply. "But you..." She paused once again before placing a paw over my cheek. "If I lost you...it would kill me..." I took each paw in my hands and smiled.

"Well, it's a good thing you're not gonna lose me 'cause I ain't go anywhere. But...I see where this is coming from and...I guess I'm kinda scared too. But don't worry, we're a team. When we're all together, we're unstoppable. Remember that." Tigress smiled.

"I will."

"So what you say we go kick some peacock ass?" I proposed. Ti chuckle as we embraced.

"I'll take you up on that offer." She pulled back to kiss me on the lips before we returned to the embrace. "And Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"If you do die on me, I will personally pull you from deaths grasp and kill you myself." I laughed in response.

"If I wasn't motivated to stay alive before, I sure am now." After we had finished our discussion and finished packing, we all began to leave for Gongmen City. We headed down the steps from the palace and towards Mr Pings shop to pick up Po. But during the trip and thought about my talk with Ti. I've never heard her openly admit being scared. But I was surprised it was our safety she was fearful for. But I guess she knows she has a lot to lose as do I. Like I said, I'm frightened too. But I'm gonna use that fear to fuel my strength to keep us all alive. I just hope Ti and the others are doing the same. As long as we keep an eye on one another, we're all gonna make it out of this alive. Anyway, once we had reached Mr Pings restaurant, we say to very panda we came to collect step out of the shop along with his father. He was wearing a rather large backpack that seemed to be carrying quite a number of items.

"And I packed you some food and water and-"

"Ok dad! I get it! You didn't need to pack all this, I only needed a few things." Po interjected.

"Nonsense! I want to make sure you have a safe trip by having everything you need to return to me."

"I'll be fine dad. I'm the Dragon Warrior! Nothing's gonna stop me."

"Of course, son...just...be safe." Mr Ping pleaded.

"I will be, don't worry." He promised. Shorty after he finished speaking, our presence was was noticed. "Oh guys, hey! You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, we just came to collect you. Come on, we better leave right away." Viper said.

"Alright, come on guys, lets go save Gongmen City!" Po shouted over his shoulder as he took off with the others. Before I could follow, I was stopped by Mr Ping.

"Ben, may I ask you for a favour?"

"Of course, Mr Ping, anything." He brought his wings together with a frown spreading across his face.

"Please make sure my son comes back safe..." I nodded.

"Don't worry, Mr Ping. Po is family. If anyone threatens his life; I'll break their faces." He perked up with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Of course. Goodbye, Mr Ping." I said before sprinting off to catch up with the others.

(Another chapter up. If I recall, the last time I updated tho story we didn't have a fricking awesome trailer for Kung Fu Panda 3! Did you guys check it out yet? Who am I kidding, of course you did! How awesome was it?! Goddamn I am hyped! But for now I need to focus on finishing this story. I'm gonna really try to update as fast as I can. It's just writing most of this dialogue takes some time and most of it I have to scrap or replace. Anyway, I hoped you like this chapter and I hope you leave a review!)


	78. Chapter 78

_Chapter 78: boat talk_

The path to Gongmen City was long to say the least. We travelled high and low, past mountains and deserts. After three days of travel, it finally lead us all to a harbour near a small fishing village. From there we got ourselves a boat that would take us down a river that lead towards the city. However, the path was going to take some time to travel so we had planned to catch some shut eye but not before we went over our plan of action. At our first stop after leaving The Valley, we had created a plan on how we were gonna take down Shen. A plan that, like I said, we were going over once more. Tigress laid out the map of Gongmen City onto a crate as we all surrounded out. A single lantern lit the cabin up as it swung calmly over the map.

"Alright, lets go over the plan one last time." Tigress said. She pointed to a spot on the map. "The boat will take us to the city's harbour here. The majority of Shen's soldiers are most likely patrolling the streets so we'll stick to the rooftops. But we'll still have to be cautious. I'm willing to bet there's archers stationed on the rooftops as well. We'll take out any in our path but I suggest we try to avoid them as much as we can to reduce the chances of blowing our cover." Tigress paused as her finger shifted further inside the city. "Once we're inside the city, we must reach Gongmen jail. The letter the messenger gave the my father also informed us that Master Ox and Croc are being held there. We free the pair of them and then we move on Shen." She paused once again and moved her finger to the centre of the city. "The messenger said that Shen is residing in his old home so that's where we'll strike. We'll try to avoid detection as much as we can until we reach him. Once we find him, we take him down and then go about liberating the city."

"You sure he'll be in that tower? The city is pretty big." Po doubted.

"Come on, a big bad guy suddenly comes into play and you expect him to be anywhere but inside the tallest building in the city? I bet you anything he's even at the tippy top." Mantis pointed out.

"You really think he's that cliché?" Crane asked.

"I bet he even has a little villain speech prepared." Mantis replied.

"He'll be there, I'm positive." Tigress butted in. She laid her paws onto the crate and sighed before she gazed at each one of us. "We've been through a whole lot together, facing danger so many times and always coming out on top. But this time...this time I can't stress enough how careful we must be. Whatever this weapon Shen has is, it was able to kill one of the greatest masters in history. If just one of us slips up...it could mean our death and I...I can't bare the thought of losing one of you." I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"You're not gonna. We're a family and you can be sure as hell we're gonna make sure each of us makes it out alive throughout little liberation." I assured.

"Damn right. You guys know I always got your back." Mantis added.

"Same here." Viper said.

"And that goes for the rest of us." Crane added. Tigress smiled as she removed her paws from the crate and rolled up the map.

"Good to hear. It's gonna take time some for us to reach the city so I suggest we all catch as much sleep as we can." I blew some air into the lantern and extinguished the flame while others scattered to find a comfortable spot to sleep. Viper coiled herself around Crane as two dozed off together in the centre of the room. Po took up a spot ahead of the avian and the snake. He rested he head onto the ground while Monkey and Mantis used him as pillow. And finally, Ti and I took up a space of our own. As we turned away from the others, I wrapped my arms around Ti and pulled her close. I leaned closer to her ear.

"We're all gonna be home before you know it. I know it's gonna be dangerous but we're gonna come out on top,'we always do."

"I know but...even though we're all capable of taking care of ourselves...I'll always worry about those I care about. You're all too important to me for me to not worry about. But I know we'll make it out because I'll be sure to protect you all." She vowed. I kissed the back of her head and pulled her closer.

"Just don't go dying on me, you hear? You're too damn important to us so you better make it out alive." Tigress released a soft chuckle before taking my hand and placing a kiss on it.

"I will." She promised.

"Good. Now if you wake up before me, wake me up or I'll wake you up if I'm up first."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Night', babe." I sighed with smile before shutting my eyes. The soothing sound of the water outside filled my ears until the sound started to become...distant and...and...

...

"A...h..h! Hu...huh?...aw man..." I stirred and moaned slightly as my ears picked up a slight disturbance. My eyes creaked open and the first image that came into focus was the back of Ti's head. I heard soft and gentle breaths coming from the feline so she was defiantly still sleeping. So who made that noise? I gazed over my shoulder towards Crane and Viper. The pair of them were sound asleep as well. Wasn't them then. I turned towards the three amigos and noticed one missing; Po. My eyes circled the room for him and I saw the very panda leaving the cabin.

"Po?" I muttered. I rubbed my eyes before slowly removing my grasp on Ti. Once my hands were freed, I got up and stretched before following him outside. As I neared the exit of the cabin, I could hear a slight commotion outside. I peeked outside and saw Po pacing back and forth while mumbling to himself. The heck is up with him? And how the heck did he wake up earlier than the rest of us? That's certainly a first. I stepped outside while he kept pacing.

"Hey, Po." I spoke in a hush tone, immediately alerting the panda. He jumped in surprise and shook the entire boat!

"Geez, Ben, don't sneak up in me like that!" He spoke a little too loudly. I shushed him quickly. He covered his mouth. "Oh, sorry." He mumbled through his fingers.

"It's fine, Po, but Jesus, what's up with you? Why are up so early and why do you seem so jumpy?"

"What? I dunno-I dunno what you talking about. I just you know, I wanted to get up early for-"

"Ok, let me just stop you at "I wanted to get up early." Po, you hate getting up early so don't you try and fool me." I scolded. He bowed he's head.

"Sorry..." He mumbled.

"It's ok. Now, Po, tell me what's going on. Are you okay? I got woken up by someone yelling. Was that you?" I asked. Po sighed as he took a seat. I sat beside him as he brought he paws together.

"Yeah...I eh, I had a...well I'm not sure if your call it a bad dream but it was certainly weird..." He replied.

"Why, what happened?"

"I...I saw my parents. They were walking through and forest and I was so happy to see them but...they didn't seem as happy. It was like they had forgotten about me or wanted to..."

"Oh come on, Po, that's ridiculous. How could they forget about you?"

"They replaced me with a radish!" He exclaimed. I raised a brow and cocked my head.

"A...radish?"

"Yeah! And the stupid little thing could even do Kung Fu and he started spinning and stuff and beating my butt and...well, you get the point right?"

"Uh...yeah...no...I don't know. I'm having trouble understanding this dream of yours. It's very...strange."

"I know and the weirdest thing was at the end if the dream...I saw that symbol again. The one I saw on that wolf from yesterday. And now I can't get it out of my head. What's does it mean? What does it have to do with my parents?" I sighed and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, Po, but I don't know the answer to that question. But like I said before, don't go overloading that brain of yours with too much thought. We'll figure it out together in time. I wish we could figure this one out right now but we can't. We're about to liberate a city and if your mind is drifting off during it...you could get hurt...or worse. And we can't lose you, big guy, you're too important to us." Po brought his paws together and sighed.

"Yeah...I know. I'll stay focused. I promise I won't let you guys down."

"I know you won't. Just know that I got you're back, buddy."

"And I got yours." I patted his back while chuckling.

"Good to know."

"Heh, it's weird. We're like the toughest warriors in China and still we...we act like something could go wrong." I sighed and rested my head on my knuckle.

"Yeah, I know. But the thing is, even though we are tough as nails...we're not invincible. We still hurt and we still bleed. We can stand our ground against so many bad guys but eventually ones gonna come along that's just as tough. That's why it's important for us to stand against any threat together. A combined strength is better than an individual one."

"Yeah I get it. It's just strange is all. Like how I was surprised to hear Tigress say that she couldn't bare losing one of us, you know? You don't normally hear her say something like that everyday."

"Come on, Po, I'm sure you understand why she said it. We're about to fight a guy with a weapon that killed a Kung Fu master. She just wanted you guys to know she cares for you all. She's got a lot to lose on this little trip as do us all. So don't be surprised that's she's protective of us. That's what we gotta remember going in. That if we're not at one hundred percent...someone we love and care about could die."

"And it's that what makes us stronger...right? That the people we love gives us more strength to fight." I smiled.

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand. Keep that in mind when we reach the city." I turned my head to the side and saw the dark sky beginning to light up. Everything that was once difficult to make out, now became illuminated and in the distance, a city came into view. "That must be Gongmen. I better wake the others." I said before entering the cabin and smacking the doorframe. "Alright, you lot, time to rise and shine, we got a city to save." They all shifted in the sleep before they woke up.

"Huh-wha? Ah damn, man, I was having the best dream about a big breasted babe!" Mantis moaned.

"Shame you'll only see such beauty in your dreams." Monkey yawned which was followed by a chuckled. I laughed before heading back outside. The first to emerge was Tigress who stood beside me gazing out over the water and towards the city.

"Morning, babe." I said as the pair of us shared a quick kiss.

"Good morning. I trust you're prepared?" She asked. I cracked my knuckles while smirking.

"You don't even need to ask." I replied as t he others soon emerged as we all gathered to the front of the boat.

"Good to hear." Tigress said before turning to the others. "We'll be arriving at the city shortly. Remember the plan and stick to it. We've been through thick and thin, this is just another obstacle to cross. We can do this, I know we can."

"Of course we can. We go in with style and come out in victory." Mantis said.

"We're ready to kick some peacock ass." I said.

"Alright, lets get ready." Tigress said.


	79. Chapter 79

_Chapter 79: search and rescue_

With the morning sun now shining brightly in the sky, the guys and I prepared ourselves to enter the city. The boat continued along the path to the city for quite sometime until we finally arrived at the docks. As the boat neared the harbour, we bailed out of it and made our way up the side of a building until we reached the top. Each one of us peeked over the tiled roof and into the city streets. The citizens seemed to be going about their daily business but not without them being under the watchful eyes of wolves that patrolled the streets. And familiar wolves I might add. Their armour was strikingly similar to the wolves that raided the Musicians Village the other day.

"Man, that's a lot of wolves." Mantis said.

"Yeah, no kidding. But check out their armour. Look familiar?" I asked. The guys scrutinised each wolf, taking note of the similarities each one had.

"Those are they same wolves from the other day. But we threw all the ones at the village in prison." Viper noted.

"Shen's army must be larger than we anticipated." Tigress said.

"Hey, Po, isn't that the guy who hammered you across the face?" Crane questioned while pointing his wing at a familiar wolf. The wolf that escaped with the metal the other day.

"I do not like that guy." Po said while narrowing his eyes.

"So that guy works for Shen. If that's the case then he must've brought all the metal he stole to him. But what for?" Monkey asked.

"We're sure to find out once we reach that tower." Tigress said while pointing to the tallest tower ahead of us. "But right now we must reach Gongmen jail. Lets move." Tigress said as she took off across the rooftops while we all followed closely. We made our way across rooftop to rooftop and stuck to the shadows as we did. As I followed the rest of the guys, I would occasionally gaze over the city streets and see citizens being shaken down by Shen's soldiers. And I couldn't so anything to stop it without the risk of blowing our cover. I continued to gaze over the city streets until my eyes noticed someone missing. I turned back to the others and did a headcount, soon noticing that one of us was missing.

"Guys, hold up. Where's Po?" I asked. The others stopped in their tracks and gazed around.

"He was right here a second ago." Crane noted.

"How do you just lose a panda?" Mantis asked.

"Maybe he fell behind or...oh you gotta kidding me." I said in disbelief.

"What?" Monkey questioned. I could do nothing but point into the city streets. Each of them followed my finger to a...dragon costume clumsily shuffling through the streets which ended up bumping into a firework vendor resulting in it spontaneously combusting...yup, you read that correctly.

"He's not..." Viper spoke as Tigress face palmed herself.

"Yup, he's in that thing." Mantis said.

"His idea of stealth is a little...usual." Crane said.

"We better get down there and join him." Viper advised. Each one of us silently slid off the roof and made our way towards the dragon costume.

"Guys? Guys, where are you?" We heard Po say from within the costume. Tigress lifted the tail of the costume, allowing each of us to slip inside. Inside, I saw Po peeking out of the mouth in search for us.

"Hey Po." Monkey spoke. Po responded by spinning around and smacking the simian across the face.

"Whoa, easy Po! It's just us!" I exclaimed.

"Oh! Sorry!" He apologised while Monkey rubbed his cheek.

"It seems you found yourself an alternate method to remaining undetected." Tigress said.

"Yeah heh." Po spoke embarrassed.

"Well it doesn't look like the guards are aware of our presence. We should just stick with this disguise and keep moving." I suggested. The others nodded.

"I agree. Lets keep moving." Tigress ordered. Working as one, we moved the dragon costume swiftly through the streets and right past guards that were completely oblivious to our presence. Needless to say, things were pretty tense considering we were walking right last guards and if just one decided to peek inside the head, he'd recognise who we were and would alert the other guards. But it seemed fortune smiled upon us for we just seemed to be invisible to them. As we continued along our path towards Gongmen jail, we were brought to a sudden halt. Ahead of us, our path was blocked by a guard who was in the middle of a rant with a sheep who he held by the neck with one paw and a bowl in the other.

"This rice is raw!" The wolf roared into the sheeps face.

"I-I'm sorry! I couldn't prepare it probably because you stole my metal pots for Lord Shen." The sheep spoke with a frightened tone. The wolf smashed the bowl against the ground and brought the sheep to his face.

"You either cook my rice properly or I cook you!" He growled.

"Po, do something!" Viper said.

"I can't help her make rice, we'll get caught!" He said. I could just sense the others face palming at that reply. "Wait, I got an idea." Po lead us towards the wolf before he tap him on the shoulder. The wolf turned towards us. "Hey." Po greeted causally.

"Hey." The wolf greeted back before turning his attention back to the sheep and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. At least for a couple of seconds. He whipped his head back around but instead of a greeting this time, he was met with a solid punch across the face before Po...well...ate him using the mouth of the costume. Yeah, so there's that. Anyway, once the wolf was...eaten, he was pulled deeper into the costume and was tossed from one of us to the other as each of us just beat the living crap out of him until he was finally...deposited out the back of the costume...I could only imagine how that must've looked like outside the costume.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" Po asked the sheep.

"Y-yes. Thank you so much for your help but...what are you doing inside that costume?" She replied with a question of her own.

"It's a disguise. We're here to liberate the city and stop Shen. But before we move on him, we have rescue Masters Croc and Ox." I answered.

"I'm relieved to hear help has arrived but you should know they're being well guarded so please be careful."

"Thanks for tip and stay safe." I said before we began to continue on our path.

"Hey! Stop that costume!" A gruff voice spoke out of nowhere. Po turned the head of the costume around and faced whoever was speaking. Behind us was the wolf that hammered Po across the face along with a dozen more wolves that were heading our way.

"Oh shit. We gotta move!" I yelled. And just like that, we were off. With wolves hot on our tail, in this case the costumes tail, we slipped down any alley or route we could find to try and evade these bastards. But as you could imagine we were having difficulty. Who would've thought it'd be so hard to lose this kinda heat in this massive-ass costume? Certainly not me. During the pursuit, any wolf that got in our way was swallowed up and deposited out the back of the costume. Pretty nasty business but survival is survival. The chase soon lead us to an open area where we became surrounded. The wolves circled us with their weapons at the ready.

"Oh crap, what do we do?" Mantis asked.

"It's gonna take a miracle to get us out of this one." I said.

...

I'm not quite sure how we got under these barrels and I was there when it happened! I mean, we were surrounded and we managed to end up in these barrels and...lets just move on shall we? Anyway, I peeked through a crack the barrel I was in had to see the wolves all impale the costume before it was turned over to reveal to them that nothing was inside. The wolves looked around with confused expressions while the boss wolf growled.

"Spread out! Search everywhere for 'em!" He ordered before he and the other wolves dispersed. Better move while I have the chance. I kicked out the bottom of the barrel and slipped my legs out before standing up and heading into a nearby alley. Once I believed I was out of sight I threw the barrel off me just in time to see the others were right behind me. First to arrive by my side was Ti. She tossed the barrel she was hiding in off of her before joining me by my side.

"So much for remaining undetected." I said.

"Perhaps the disguise wasn't the best idea but nevertheless, the guards still don't know who it was they were chasing. All they know is that someone was causing trouble. I believe we're still in the clear but we must be cautious." She warned.

"If you say so. Any idea where we are?" I asked. While Ti looked around the others joined us by our side as they dusted themselves off. Well almost everyone. Po was kinda...kicking his feet wildly causing him to spin the barrel in a circle.

"Can someone lend me a hand please?" He asked. The others sighed before they began helping him out of the barrel.

"There." Ti pointed. I followed her finger which pointed at a sign. "Gongmen jail, we made it."

"Good to hear." I said before turning back to the others. "You guys ready to move?" As I finished asking the question, Po was pried from the barrel which was followed by him rolling across the floor and back onto his feet.

"Ready!" He said.

"Alright, lets move." Tigress ordered. Keeping eyes in all directions, we headed towards the jail cautiously until it was just around the corner. Tigress pressed herself up against a wall and used it as cover while peeking around it to give us an idea what to expect.

"There's two guards outside. We'll have to take them out." Tigress said.

"Easy. You take one, I take one." I said.

"Then we'll take them out together." She said before turning back to the others. "Get us two barrels, we'll have to hide them once they're unconscious." They nodded before going to fetch two barrels.

"You ready to kick some furry ass?" I asked with a smirk. Ti nodded and readied herself.

"Ready. Lets go!" The pair of us shot out from behind the wall and rushed the pair of wolves. Caught by surprise, the pair of them fumbled to grip their spears. Before they could react any further, I grabbed the head of one and smashed it against the wall, knocking him out cold instantly. I faced the other one just in time to see Ti side-kicking the wolf in the face before bringing her other foot down on his head, knocking him out clean.

"Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you're kicking ass?" Ti smirked while she rolled the wolf she knocked out over to mine, allowing the others to hide them in barrels.

"Once or twice." She replied.

"There's probably more of them inside. Think you can keep on looking sexy while you smash their faces?"

"I'll try." The pair of us kicked down the doors to the entrance of the jail which was followed by Crane swooping inside with Viper coiled around him. Inside I counted five wolves minus two now thanks to the avian and serpent. As the rest of us rushed inside, Po, Ti and myself took down the last three guards that were left standing.

"Quick and clean, good job guys." I said.

"Alright, Ben, Po and I will spread out and search for Masters Croc and Ox. The rest of you keep an eye out for incoming trouble." Ti ordered.

"No problem, at the first sight of trouble I'll give you this signal: Ka-kaw! Kee-kee!" Monkey spoke before imitating a bird.

"You mean like how Crane sounds?" Po asked.

"Exactly." Monkey replied.

"Excuse me, but when have I ever made that sound?" Crane asked. While that conversation was happening, Ti, Po and I vaulted over the balcony and down to the bottom floor in search for the imprisoned masters. The three of us spread out to cover more ground. My search wasn't going so well. I was finding any animal besides an ox or croc. I hope the Ti and Pos search is going well.

"Masters Croc and Ox!" Po exclaimed. Well what do you, it is. Ti and I joined Po by a cell that contained the infamous Masters Croc and Ox. Hearing all those stories about them from Po has certainly left an impression of them on me. I pictured them as an unstoppable force and yet, here they were, cooped up in a jail cell like some low life criminals.

"Oh man, the infamous Masters Croc and Ox, this is such a huge honour and I'm such a big fan and we get to rescue you! This is so awesome and exciting I think I might pee myself!"

"Focus, Po." I interrupted his fan outburst.

"Yeah, yeah, focus, Ok, alright, we just gotta find the key, I mean it's gotta be around here somewhere I just don't-" Po was cut off by the sound of the jail cell door being ripped off its iron hinges, curtsy of Ti.

"That'll work too." I said as I crossed my arms.

"Alright! Now it's time to take down Shen! Whooohooo lets do this!" Po cheered. Now that's the spirit we need. I watched Po parade around with his arms thrown in the air during his little celebration before I turned back to the caged masters only to become confused. Instead of joining in the celebration of their release, they just...sat there, almost motionless. Why the hell for?

"What are you doing? Aren't you two gonna...you know, help us stop Shen? You do want that right?" I asked. Finally the pair moved but not to leave their cell. Instead they lifted the cell door and slotted it back into place.

"Of course we do, but if we try to stand up to Shen, he will turn his weapon onto the citizens of the city. It would be catastrophic!" Master Ox spoke, with a very deep voice I might add. Was...was I hearing this correctly? They're just gonna stay here?!

"But your heads of the Masters Council! You're supposed to protect your city! How can you protect your city by not protecting your city!" Po reasoned.

"You'll have seven highly trained masters by your side. If we work together-" I added before being cut of by Master Ox.

"Shens weapon killed one of the greatest masters of Kung Fu, one who was better than us all. Strength in numbers counts for nothing against the weapon he possesses."

"Why won't strength in numbers count? What kind of weapon does he have that's able to stand up against us all?" I asked. The two masters shared a glance at one another before Croc approached his cell door.

"It is unlike anything we've ever encountered. A large metal object, with the face of a dragon that chewed metal and spat fired. Rhino faced it, completely unaware of the power it possessed. It spat metal at him and it..." Croc couldn't finish his sentence for it seemed to cause pain.

"He killed a man we called brother. And now Shen plans to use that weapon to eradicate Kung Fu ." Oxs revelation caused us all to gasp. So not only is Shen planning to conquer China, but he's also trying to get rid...of Kung Fu? Jesus Christ.

"Eradicate Kung Fu?!" Po exclaimed.

"We cannot allow that to happen. He must be stopped! You cannot just stay in the cell and allow this madman to succeed in his plans!" Ti yelled.

"I already told you what would happen if you try to oppose him. It will just lead to more death." Ox argued.

"You say that because you're afraid that will happen. But it won't! We will stop him! But only if we work together!" Po argued back.

"Enough! We will not argue any further. Our minds have been made up." Croc spoke, ending the argument.

"So...so that's it? You're just gonna sit there let this guy walk all over you?" Po asked. Both masters remained silent. "Fine. We'll take on Shen without you. Because with our combined strength, we can do anything! And we're gonna use it to kick some peacock butt and deliver justice!" With that outburst, Po walked away with a rather angry expression. And I know why. I leaned in towards the cell door.

"You know, that guy over there idolises you. You're his heroes. He shared so many stories with me about you leading me to believe that guys were a shining example of virtue and honour. But to see you like this...giving up-"

"We are not giving up." Croc interjected.

"Really? Because it certainly seems like it to me. You're Kung Fu Masters! You're supposed to be willing to fight against the odds, no matter what." I paused for a moment and sighed. "I know you guys are afraid of risking the lives of your people. But if you're gonna save them, you have to take that risk. Because if you don't, the bad guys win and everything we fought so hard for...is taken from us in a flash. And it's only when it's too late when you realise the mistake you made." I allowed my words to settle but I received no response. "I'm glad we finally had the chance to meet in person. I just hoped they were under different circumstances. I hope you change your minds before this day ends. Goodbye." And with that, I left their cell alongside Ti.

"Things have gotten a little more complicated." Ti said.

"Yeah no kidding. I think we should just continue as planned. If those two don't wanna help, then we'll move on Shen on our own."

"Not all of us look like we're prepared to move." Ti said while pointing in a direction behind me. I followed her finger which lead me to a dejected panda that stood alone with his arms crossed.

"I'll go talk to him." I said before making my way towards Po. "Hey, buddy, you doing alright?" I asked. Po sighed before his eyes locked with the two caged masters.

"I just can't believe it. My heroes are just...gonna sit there in that cell. And it's not even a good cell either. You'd think if you were gonna stay here you'd want to pick the best cell, you know?" I couldn't help but chuckle at his attempt to lighten the situation.

"Yeah. But look, they're just...they're still dealing with the death of their friend and they're afraid that if they defy Shen, it'll end more more lives being lost ."

"Yeah...I...I guess understand. But still, you can't give up, no matter. We're not gonna give up, not now, not ever." I smirked.

"Damn right. You ready to deliver some sweet justice?" I asked with my fist out. Po fist-bumped me with a smirk of his own.

"They better get ready to feel the thunder!" He exclaimed. I chuckled and opened my mouth to speak, but I was stopped by a sudden loud noise. I whipped my head around just in time to see the boss wolf burst into the prison along with two lackeys.

"So much for the warning Monkey." I said. Monkey peeked over the balcony.

"Ka-kaw?" He squeaked.

"So it was you lot we were chasing earlier!" The boss wolf yelled.

"That's right and we actually gave you the slip! Man you guys suck!" I taunted. The wolves growled.

"Well, we've got you now. You're not going anywhere and neither I'm I." As he finished his sentence, Both Crane and Viper dropped down onto his lackeys, knocking then out cold. "Oh crap." And with that, he sped off.

"If he gets away, he'll warn Shen!" I said.

"Follow him!" Ti ordered. We wasted no time in following the boss wolf outside to no doubt partake in a hot pursuit.

(And that's another chapter up! Man, it's been sometime since I've updated and what's the reason this time? Well after I uploading the last chapter I've since bought a new game which has kept me occupied for some time. And after playing that game for quite a while, I bought ANOTHER one. And that game kept me busy for a while too. But I've finished them as of now and I'm trying to get back into the writing game. I'll try and get more chapters out when I can. Until then, thanks for reading and don't forget to review.)


	80. Chapter 80

_Chapter 80: hot pursuit_

We all rushed outside which brought us into another district just in time to see the wolf take off in a rickshaw. Damn, that's gonna make it a more difficult to keep up with him. I set off in full sprint along with the others in order to try and keep up with the wolf. If only there was something that could be used to catch up to him.

"Watch out!" A voice shouted from behind. I gazed over my shoulder just in time to see a rickshaw heading my way. I dove quickly out the way just in time to avoid being hit. And who exactly was driving that thing? None of than Po himself. I suppose that's one way to keep up with the wolf.

"Keep on him, Po!" I shouted. While Po guided his way past stalls and people, the guys and I tried our best to keep up. The chase continued on until we reached a corner, one that Po and the wolf past moments ago. As we sped around it, we caught a glimpse of the wolf redirecting his rickshaw down another path while Po sped straight past it.

"Viper!" Po called for help as he pointed to a post. I believed I understood what he meant so I lifted Viper up and threw her towards it. Viper then coiled herself around it and extended her tail for Po to grab, which he did. This was followed by Po turning himself back around and down the path the wolf took before he rest of us continued to follow closely. So far so good, I just hope nothing else happens during-

"Better watch out!" The wolf laughed as he chucked his rickshaw driver onto Pos path. I spoke too soon. Po acted quickly by shifting his weight onto one side of his rickshaw, resulting in a wheel being lifted allowing him to cut around the driver safely.

"That was totally not cool!" Po exclaimed. Well, at least nothing else can happ-

"Have some more, fatboy!" The wolf yelled before he knocked over various stall goods such as crates along with people who were shoved into Pos way.

"Guys!" Po yelled. We picked up the pace and pushed ourselves as hard as we could to outrun Po and luckily we did. We gathered any citizens that were in the way and pulled them from harms way. Now Po could continue the pursuit with the citizens now safe. Once we were sure they were safe, we sped off once more and tried to catch up. Alright, after that happened surely nothing else could-

"How about something smaller?!" The wolf shouted as he held out a crate of bunnies. I think I need to shut up now.

"No, no, not the bunnies!" Po pleaded right before his face was bombarded with a dozen or so bunnies. With his sight obstructed, Po lost control of the rickshaw and was derailed. While he was heading towards a construction site, the wolf was heading towards the lower districts.

"Ben; you're with me. You four follow Po and keep him out of harms way." Tigress ordered. We all nodded before separating accordingly. Ti and I sprinted alongside one another with the wolf in sight but by the looks of things, not for long. After putting up a chase for a short while, our luck ran out when the wolf was out of sight. We picked up the pace and headed to his last known location, but it was left to no avail.

"Damn, where'd he go?" I asked while gazing down various streets.

"He couldn't have gone far. There must be something that can could tell us where he went." As if on cue, the sound of a familiar pandas scream echoed throughout the streets. The pair of us gazed up to the construction site just in time to see Po collide with a building, followed by him tumbling to the ground level. Ti and I shared a glance while I shrugged.

"I guess we should follow him." I suggested. The pair of us took off once more and headed towards Po who was on street level with the remains of the rickshaw which consisted of a grip and a single wheel. "Po, did you see where he went?!" I shouted. Po whipped his head back while trying to ride on a single wheel.

"He's up ahead, quick, give me a boost!" He shouted back.

"Throw me!" Ti ordered.

"No problem!" I grabbed her paws and launched her towards Po. Now with more momentum, Ti threw herself at Po right before she struck him with her palms. What followed afterwards was...awesome. Her strike was so powerful, it sent Po off like a rocket! I even saw a trail of frickin fire! God I love that woman. Now that the two of them had a head start, I decided to push myself even more to try and catch up. Along the way, the others joined me by my side.

"Where did Tigress, Po and the wolf go?" Crane asked.

"Po's probably on his ass right now. Tigress is right behind them."

"Come on, we have to catch up with them!" Viper said.

"You don't need to tell me twice." I said. We followed the charred path that Po left behind until it finally lead us to Tigress who too was still pursing Po and the wolf. "You see where they went?" I asked as I ran alongside her.

"They're too far ahead. We may have lost them." As if on cue, Po and the wolf could be seen soaring through the sky screaming together.

"Or they could just be over there." Mantis said.

"Come on, lets go!" I spoke while we, once again, picked up the pace. Our chase finally lead us to Po and the wolf, who seemed to have landed on the ground pretty hard. It seemed like just before the impact, Po must've used the wolf as a cushion to soften his impact. I'm surprised the wolf wasn't crushed. Or even killed!

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you catch a bad guy: panda style!" Po spoke as he stood up and stumbled backwards before trying to regain his balance but couldn't. But before he could collapsed to the ground, he was caught by Tigress.

"Nice work, Po. Guess he should've known to have had backup when taking on the Dragon Warrior, huh?" I asked. Po smirked as he got back onto his feet.

"That's right. Cause there's only one of...one of you...oh..." Po trailed off as his eyes soon were torn away from the injured wolf and locked with...aw crap. Now that I actually took the time to survey my surroundings, it was only then that I realised where we were. We were standing right outside Shens palace! And what exactly was Po and the rest of us staring at? Oh nothing important. Just a mass of archers that were stationed on the walls outside that palace. And their bows were aiming straight at us. Alright, so we have archers, maybe there's a way out of-yup I just opened my mouth once again and as you probably guessed, something else happened. Within a matter of seconds, a flood of wolves flocked to us with their weapons drawn along with some massive gorillas before they had completely surrounded us. Honestly, there was only one thing I could say to respond to all of this.

"Shit." I muttered. The wolf stood up while laughing menacingly.

"What was that about there being just one of me?" The wolf questioned while cracking his knuckles.

"Well not anymore. I mean there's like...one, two, three, four, no wait I think I counted him twice." Po counted.

"Shut up!" The wolf yelled. "You're outnumbered. So tell me, what are you gonna do now?" He asked. Po stared down the wolf and vice versa while we all remained back to back with our fists raised. Po then straightened up and looked that wolf dead in the eyes and answered his question with pride.

"We surrender!" Po yelled. Wait what?!

"Smart move, fatboy. Bring some cuffs and someone inform Lord Shen that he's gonna have some guests coming." The wolf ordered. I scooted towards Po.

"Po, what are you doing?" I asked in hush tone.

"Don't worry I have a plan. Just trust me." He whispered back. I tried to question him further, but I hushed myself once wolves and gorillas approached with cuffs. Pretty hard-to-break looking ones to. We were then all cuffed one by one until we were clumped together, ready to be transported into the palace.

"Move!" The alpha wolf ordered. We all moved together in a group with dozens of weapons inches away from us, making the idea of an escape futile. Who I'm I kidding, even if an escape was possible, I can't break these goddamn cuffs. The only thing that could help us get outta this mess is this plan Po had. One of which I still didn't know will work. I shuffled over to Po and kept my voice to a low whisper.

"Po, we are inside our enemy's stronghold and we're probably heading to our deaths. So, you know, this plan of yours, I hope it works." He craned his neck towards me in order to whisper.

"Don't worry, it will." He assured me.

"Really? Because when you have a plan it usually ends up with something catching fire."

"Once. ONCE!"

"Well, If you really believe your plan will work, I trust you. I know you would never put our lives at risk without knowing someway of getting us out safe."

"Thanks and don't worry, I know what I'm doing." As Po faced forward after he finished speaking, he came to a sudden halt as did us all. We all gasped at the sight before us. Right before our eyes was none of than the warhammer that belonged to Master Thundering Rhino. It was planted into the ground to act like some kind of memento. One of which no man should be proud of. And the damage surrounding it...what kind of weapon did Shen possess? That description Master Croc gave us sorta flew over me ahead once that wolf showed up so I didn't really have time to think about it. But now...now I took time to actually think about it. I remember the description; it chewed metal and spat fire. Mmmmm...chewed metal and...oh...oh no. Oh god no! It couldn't be, could it?! Had Shen created...a firearm?! No, no, no he couldn't have. I need to really think about this. Okay, by the look of the hammer it appeared as if though Master Thundering Rhino had dragged it through the ground, suggesting whatever weapon Shen had, it was strong enough to create a deep trough into the ground with massive weapon like that warhammer. So what weapon could deal immense damage and leave such an impact?

...

"A cannon..." I muttered to myself. Oh no...it may not me a firearm by its still just as bad. But...no I just...is it possible? I've been here for over a year and the world always seemed to be in a primitive state. But now...it seems is evolving. And if this is what comes of it, it must be stopped...for everyone's sake.

"Keep moving." The wolf ordered. We continued to move towards the palace until we had finally entered Shens domain.

"Did you say something, Ben?" Tigress asked. I shook myself out of my thoughts and paced myself alongside her.

"I think I know what weapon Shen has." I whispered. She scooted closer upon hearing my discovery.

"You do?" I nodded. "How were you able to figure it out?"

"Well, judging by the description Master Croc gave us and by the...scene outside, I believe it might be something that exists where...I'm from, if you catch my drift." Ti took a moment to think before she realised I was referring to where I'm really from.

"I see. So...what exactly is it we're going up against?"

"A cannon by the sound of it. A large weapon that can fire projectiles, strong enough to tear buildings apart. So you could only imagine what it would do to one of us."

"Then how can we destroy it without risking death?"

"It's a pretty heavy weapon so it'll some take time for Shen to aim at a target and considering how fast we can move, that shouldn't be a problem. But if we want to reduce any risk it dealing damage, it would be smart move to make sure the fuse on it doesn't get lit. It would probably be located somewhere at the ass-end of it."

"At least we know what to expect. We may now have an advantage on our side."

"An advantage...while we're still cuffed."

"We'll find way out of them, we always find a way."

"Po said he has a plan but we've yet to see that come into fruition. Until then, I suggest you pass that information onto the others."

"I will." But before she could inform the others, I quickly stopped her.

"Wait, Ti?" She turned back to me.

"Yes?" I pressed my lips against hers before pulling away with a smile.

"Stay alive up there." She released a smile of her own.

"Ditto." Oh man, this is really it. We were finally behind enemy lines. Well...we already were once we entered the city-oh you know what I meant. I know Po said he had a plan but...I still was worried. If that peacock tries to hurt my family...I will smash his face in. I swear to god I will.

"Oh...oh no..." Po muttered. Feeling like something was wrong I quickly shuffled towards him.

"What's wrong, Po? Are you alright?" I asked.

"It's horrible..." He whimpered. Jesus, this must serious.

"Po, what's wrong?" I asked, now getting really worried.

"So...many...stairs..." Wait...what? It was only then I realised he was referring to the countless flights of stairs that would no doubt lead to Shen.

"Hey, come on now, Po. They're just stairs, you're the Dragon Warrior!" I encouraged.

"Yeah...I am!"

"And what are you gonna do to those stairs!"

"I'm gonna climb them! Every last one of them!"

"That's what I like to hear. Come on, lets keep moving." Po nodded as he strutted towards the stairs with confidence. I know he'll conquer those things, you just wait and see.

...

Well...three flights of stairs is better than two. I may have overestimated Pos ability to climb fifty million sets of stairs. Hey, we all miscalculate. It's weird, I've seen the guy run miles and have the stamina the push through a days training yet when it comes to stairs...I just couldn't work out the equation for that one. Well, at least he was getting a piggyback ride off a gorilla. Thankfully, the rest of us had the actual willpower and stamina to make it to the top, which we were soon about the reach. And soon, we will finally be face to face with Shen after days of travel. But it's not like we could do anything with these cuffs on. That part relies solely on Po. Whatever this plan of his is...I hope it works. Step by step, we drew closer towards our enemy, until we had finally reached the top. This is it. May fortune smile upon us.


	81. Chapter 81

_Chapter 81: the panda and the peacock_

After a days of travel, my family and I and finally reached Shens palace...in cuffs. If I wasn't worried enough before, I sure am now. If Shen decides to use his cannon on us before we even have the chance to find a way out our of restraints...god knows what will happen. But whatever plan Po had...I hope it comes into fruition because we were now in the domain of the peacock himself. The gorilla Po had hiddybacked off of, lifted him of his back and dropped him onto the ground of the top floor.

"Oh...oh man...that was tiring." Po huffed while trying to catch his breath. He climbed three flights of stairs and he's breathless. Why I'm I not surprised? While he was busy catching his breath, I began to survey my surroundings. The top floor had quite an elegant design. The ceiling had such beautiful craft that reflected onto the ground. It seemed the colours gold and red was a popular choice when it came to design. The entire place was coated with the two colours along with very few other colours. The room was illuminated with sunlight that seeped through the balcony and windows but not for very long because it was about the finally set over the horizon. The room, as expected, was occupied with many guards, mostly gorillas. But I was surprised to find someone else here. One who wasn't Shen or a guard by the looks of her. It was an elderly goat. She wore a colourful robe and had a small pair of glasses that rested on her nose. She also carried a small staff which she leaned on. I had no idea who she was but...she didn't seem like a threat but hey, looks can be deceiving. But I doubt anything I've described so far compares to the main attraction. And that would be, Shen himself. The peacock wore a long white silk robe with long cuffs which he sheathed his wings into. His feathers too were white along with the colour red that coated the small features on his body. His gaze felt cold and it seemed to be directed at Po for some reason. It was strange to say the least. All this talk about this murderer and he was few feet away us. I've prepared myself for the worst. Shen took a step forward and when he did, I noticed his talons was equipped with some sort of steel sheathes, with sharp ends, which I presumed was to act like weapons. I'll have to remember that if things heat up fast. A wicked smile spread across his face as he was about to convey he first words to the warriors of the Jade Palace.

"Greetings, panda, at last we-"

"Oh hey, how's it going?" Po huffed, still in the process of catching his breath. Well that felt a little anticlimactic. I guess if Shen had prepared himself a little speech, it was all for nothing.

"He-hey..." Shen muttered, seeming confused with Pos causal greeting. The goat approached Po while lifting her stick. What the heck was she doing.

"My, you've certainly grown...bigger than I'd anticipated." She spoke as she poked his belly, causing it to shake. "Though it is expected with your kind."

"Hey what are you-" Po mumbled before the little cage he held, that also held Mantis, was yanked, bringing him to the goats level. Was she...inspecting him? Yeah...she was. Umm...why?

"You've grown strong." She spoke once again while examining his teeth.

"Oh you can tell I've been working out? What can I say, I'm-Bleh!" Po spoke before his mouth of forced open by the goats staff.

"And healthy." She added. Po shook himself free.

"Look, I don't know what you're doing, but please step back, sir, we've got some business to attend to."

"Uh, Po, that's a woman." Monkey pointed out. Po turned back to the goat with a whole perspective.

"A woman?! Oh sorry, the beard's misleading. It's false advertising if you ask me." I had expected the goat to take offence, but instead, she just smiled while stroking her beard. Mmmm...that's not a sentence you would hear everyday.

"Enough of this folly! Bring the prisoners to me. Now!" Shen ordered. I felt a slight jab of a wolfs spear which got us moving towards the peacock. I scooted closer to the others and whispered to them.

"Alright guys, stay cool and keep your eyes peeled for the-"

"Weapon!" Po shouted. Before anyone could do or say anything, Po leapt forward towards a small table that held a small object on it that I couldn't quite make out. But whatever it was, it was in pieces now. Po brought his foot down onto the table, breaking it and causing the object on it to propel into the air which was followed by Po landing a kick hard enough to send it flying in pieces. My eyes followed one of the pieces and I watched it soar through the air and towards...towards...oh god.

"Yeah! We did it! We destroyed the weapon! I didn't think it was gonna be this...oh." Oh Po, I sorely wished that was the weapon. But unfortunately for him and us, he wasn't even close to destroying the real weapon. All us gawked at the site before us. Resting in the centre of the room was what I had dreaded to see on the way up here. A tool to used to cause unimaginable levels destruction.

A cannon.

I couldn't believe the sight before me, Shen had actually done it, he invented a cannon. The thought of what he has done with it and what he could do with it...It must be destroyed before it can do anymore damage. But I still can't do anything with these damn cuffs! There's gotta be something I can-

"Move!" A gorilla growled as he shoved us all in front of the cannon, grouping us into one pile. Oh crap, now we're really in the shit! I heard the clanking of Shen's talons and he approached us while laughing.

"All this talk of your prophecy and this is who it spoke of? You truly believe this imbecile is destined to defeat me?" Shen mocked. Prophecy? What the heck is he on about?

"I don't. I know he will." The goat responded. Shen continued to laugh.

"Clearly your second sight is as faulty as I perceived. Look at him! He had an entire lifetime to plot his revenge and yet here he is, on his knees, bound and at my mercy." Entire life? What the hell are these two on about?

"Lifetime ? No, no, no, I didn't have a lifetime. We only heard of Master Rhino's death a few days ago. And we've come to avenge his death and bring you to justice!" Po retorted.

"You've come for...nothing else?" The goat asked seeming...confused by Po's words.

"Well, we're also gonna take back all the metal you stole and bring your wolf buddies to prison too!"

"Nothing else?"

"He probably did some other evil stuff that we don't know of, why, what did he do?" Po asked switching his gaze back and forth between Shen and the goat.

"You...you don't remember..." The goat spoke but this time she seemed shocked.

"Remember what? What are you talking about?" Po asked. Shen's laughter echoed throughout the room once again. "What are you laughing at?"

"At the very thing, that you are oblivious to!" Shen replied.

"Ok, will someone just tell us what's going?! We come here to stop you and destroy your weapon, and I thought I did but surprise the tiny weapon is actually big, and I find out the lady over here isn't actually a lady, and now with all this weird talk is going on-" Before Po could continue speaking, he was silenced by a small knife that Shen had drawn and pointed it straight a Po's face. I felt my teeth gritting at the advance. He better not goddamn try anything.

"I have spent years preparing for the moment and I won't allow some pudgy panda to destroy what I've worked so hard to build." Shen spoke with a cold tone.

"Yeah well, we only spent a couple of days to get here and we're gonna do just that!" Po retorted.

"Who do you think you are, panda?" Shen growled.

"Who do you think I am, peacock?" Po retorted. The pair stared each other down for a moment that was shrouded in complete silence before Shen began to laugh once again. But this time, the laughter grew louder and Po...joined in. Okay...I have no idea what's going on. Well, I do, they're laughing but...why?

"Why are we laughing?" Po asked through his own fit of laughter. His question caused the laughter to die out and was replaced by a simple order conveyed by Shen to the wolf boss.

"Take aim." Oh crap. The cannon was then adjusted and was now aiming directly at as.

"Uh Po, that plan of yours, you think now would maybe be a good time to execute it?" I asked with my eyes glued to the cannon and my heart furiously beating. I could sense fear stirring within the others as well. The wolf cackled to himself as he lit the fuse on the cannon.

"My plan should be happening right about...now!" Po's voice echoed throughout the room. All eyes circled the room and witnessed Po's plan which was...nothing. Yeah, nothing happened.

"Mind blowing plan, Po." I heard Monkey mumble. Shen laughed once again.

"Oh, foolish panda. Nothing will prevent the inevitable. Fire the weapon!" His laughter continued as the rest of us were about the become meat chunks. I had expected the cannon to have fired by now but...it didn't. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Shen who's laughter died out once again. "Why hasn't it fired yet? Light it!" He shouted.

"I-I did!" The wolf fumbled over his words as he lit the fuse once again. And upon closer inspection, I noticed the fuse was almost immediately extinguished. How you may ask? I really couldn't say. All I know is that every time the wolf tried to light the fuse, it kept extinguishing itself. As the wolf attempted to light the fuse for the hundred time, he and the rest of us were in for a surprise as he was smacked straight across the face and the lighter was taken by...Mantis?!

"Saving your asses, yet again!" He boasted. He just couldn't resist could he? But wait, if that's Mantis then who was in the little cage the entire time? My eyes inspected the little cage only to realise that this entire time, a doppelgänger was in Mantis' place. Well actually, it was Po's action figure of him. I guess when Mr Ping was packing them up for Po, he didn't realise he was going to save our lives!

"Now Tigress!" Viper shouted. My head whipped around just in time to see Viper's tail fidgeting with the lock on Tigress' cuffs. The sound of a click could be heard which was followed by Ti releasing a primal roar as she broke free from her cuffs. She quickly struck each of our cuffs, breaking them instantly. The guards were quick to act and tried to restrain us once again. Unfortunately for them, were we quicker to act. We torpedoed our cuffs at each one that approached, knocking them away and warding off any other attackers. We all then pulled up a defensive position and stared down our enemy.

"It's time to deliver justice! Get the weapon!" Po shouted.

"Ti, you're up!" I said bending forward and allowing her to use my back to launch herself into the air. After being airborne for a brief moment, she brought her foot down onto the front of the cannon, causing it to propel into the air.

"Po, get Shen!" Viper yelled. Po ran forward as the cannon continued to spin in the air. As it got to a point where the front of the cannon was now facing toward to ground, Mantis leapt into the air and struck the cannon with enough strength to send it through the ground. We all peaked through the the massive hole in the ground and watched the cannon fall past every single floor before it collided with the ground on the bottom floor, shattering it to pieces.

"Hell yeah!" I exclaimed as we all cheered at our victory.

"That takes care of the weapon. Now all that's left is Shen." Crane noted.

"Don't worry, Po's got him." I pointed towards the panda who stood a foot away from Shen. And by the looks of it, Shen didn't seem like he was about to put up a fight. All Po had to do now was grab him.

...

Like I said, all he had to do was just grab him.

...

Any second now.

...

What the hell was Po doing? He's just staring him. They seem to be sharing words though I couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

"Po, what are you-" before I could finish my sentence, Shen fled towards the window. "Po, stop him!" But it was too late. Shen escaped out of the window and glided away from the building. We all rushed towards the window and saw him glide towards a building on the other side of the city.

"You just let Shen get away!" Ti exclaimed.

"He can't get far, we can still catch him." I said.

"Well, at least we destroyed the weapon. That's at least gotta count for something right?" Mantis asked. We saw Shen land onto the building which was followed by a short moment of silence before it was broken by the sound of something firing. Within seconds, cannon balls came into view and were heading straight towards us. "Guess not."

"GET DOWN!" I shouted. We all tried to dive out of the way but we weren't quick enough. We were all sent flying across the room as the cannon balls collided with the building. The collision literally shook the entire room and tore a chunk out the building and sent debris flying throughout the room. I rolled over onto my back and I could hear a loud ringing noise in my ears. I shook my head and ceased the ringing, bringing myself back into focus. I climbed back to my feet as I heard a short yell of pain.

"Ah! My wing!" Oh no, Crane! I quickly searched for the avian and found him on the other side of the room.

"Crane!" Viper exclaimed. She slithered quickly towards him and began to inspect him. She was joined by the others aside from Po, who was just now picking himself off the ground.

"Hold on, Crane, I'm on the way!" Po yelled. He ran towards Crane and Viper, only for a chunk of the ceiling to fall down in front him, throwing him of balance. Right next to the massive hole in the ground!

"Po!" I shouted. I sprinted over to him as he lost his balance and began to fall. I leapt forward and slid across the ground before grabbing the pandas foot. I heard him yell at the top of his lungs as he swung precariously over a hundred foot drop.

"Don't worry, I got you, I'll pull you up!" I assured him.

"No. Get him down. Use the ropes to get the bottom floor. It's too dangerous to stay up here. We'll escape through the entrance." Ti ordered as she picked up the injured avian. I nodded as I swung Po towards one of the ropes before releasing him. He reacted quickly by grabbing one of the ropes and began to descend along with the others. I followed after Ti, who used the balconies to descend safely with Crane in her grasp. I slid down a rope after the others, taking care not to get rope burn. Wouldn't want to fall at this height. While we continued to descend, the building was hit with more cannon balls, making the whole situation even more tense. As we neared the bottom, a cannon ball had hit the building causing Po to lose his grip and sent him hurling towards the bottom floor screaming.

"Po!" I yelled as my heart skipped a beat. I slid down the rope far more quickly than I already was, causing a burning sensation in my palms. I ignored the pain as I reached the bottom and ran towards Po who was pulling himself off the ground. "Po? Po, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I-I'm okay." He replied. But that didn't seem to be the case. He seemed confused and disoriented.

"Po, listen, I need you to focus, alright? Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I will." He shook his head and focused on the task on hand.

"Lets get the hell out of here!" I shouted as we sprinted towards the exit. Finally, we catch a break.

"Look out!" Viper yelled as the entrance became sealed with massive chunks of debris. Oh you gotta be goddamn kidding me!

"Shit! What the hell do we do now?!" I asked.

"Quick, this way!" Ti ordered. We followed her as she lead us towards the stairs. We climbed a couple of floors before we came to a halt. You should know that at this point the entire fricking building was tilting, which was very disorienting. Ti kicked out the wall that lead her outside. The instant that she did, a line of archers that were stationed outside, were ordered to fire arrows that were set on fire. Quick to act, Ti grabbed of wooden plank off the ground and blocked most of the arrows.

"Get back!" She ordered. Knowing full well that she could handle the archers, the rest of us took cover inside and awaited for her to return. After a moment passed, Ti leapt back into the building. "We must head to Gongmen Jail. It might just be the only safe place for us to hide out and allow us to catch our breath."

"We still gotta get the hell out of here. You got a plan for that?" I asked.

"I do." She replied before grabbing my shoulders. "We go up."

"Wait, wh-AAA!" Before I could ask what the hell she meant, she yanked my out of the building and threw me onto the next floor while still holding onto me. In turn, she used me to throw herself onto the next floor until we continued to cartwheel up the building. And for a brief moment, as I soared through the air, everything slowed down, allowing me to truly express how I felt in this unique moment.

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelled with fear in my tone. As the building was now standing on its last legs, it was at an angle that allowed us to just run up it.

"Keep moving!" I shouted. We pushed and pushed until we all had final reached the top of the building. What did we do next? We fricking jumped! I'm not joking! We actually jumped! I yelled along with Po as we soared through the sky. This has got to be one of the craziest moments of my life! I won't be forgetting this anytime soon, that I can assure you! We freefalled for a short time before we all landed onto the roof of a building. From there, we reached ground level and began to make our way to Gongmen Jail for safe haven.


	82. Chapter 82

_Chapter 82: painful decision_

With the cover of night on our side, we made our way through the city streets and towards Gongmen Jail, while being cautious by peeking around every single corner for signs of danger.

"Clear." Tigress whispered as she safely lead us around another corner. You could only imagine how fricking tense we all were at the moment. But could you really blame us especially after what had transpired back there? Jesus, how could things go south so fast? I mean, we had it in the bag! But then...things just went bad; so bad. What happened with Po and Shen? Po had him and he just let him get away! Why? Well I was about to find out. I approached Po, who at the moment seemed a little out of focus, and opened my mouth to speak.

"Wait." To halted us as she peeked around another corner where the jail happened to be.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Two guards. They seem on high alert." As I was about to suggest that we take them out, the air filled with the sound of howling.

"The heck is that about?" I asked.

"I'm am unsure, but the guards just dispatched. We should move while we have the chance." She suggested before taking off around the corner with the rest of us following close. Ti kicked opened the doors to the entrance of the jail and allowed us all to rush inside before she shut the doors behind us. But as we entered the building, Po had tripped on the first step and went tumbling down the rest before clearing I've the balcony. The rest of us quickly chased after him and propped him back onto his feet.

"What have you done?!" A voice boomed. As eyes set upon the cell that held Masters Croc and Ox. The question came from Ox who was clenching the metal bars while staring on with an angered expression. "It's sounds like war up there! What happened?!"

"Things didn't exactly go according to plan. We had Shen but...he got away." I explained.

"How could he have gotten away if you had him?" For that question, all eyes set on one guy to answer it. Po.

"That is a question I would like answered. Now." Ti spoke while crossing her arms and staring at Po scornfully. Po fidgeted with his paws nervously as he broke away from us.

"Guys, I-I had him yeah but he-I...I meant for him to get away because...because then we could find out more about his evil...plan." Wow. As far as bad lying goes, that was probably the worst.

"That's...what? Po that makes no sense." I said. Ti unfolded her arms and step towards him causing him to fall down.

"You let Shen to escape and instead of telling us why, you instead lie to us?" Ti scorned. Po lowered his head shamefully.

"I'm sorry I-"

"We could have been killed! We almost were!" She continued.

"Ti, take it easy, there's no need for this." I stepped in.

"I agree, the last thing we need is conflict between us." Viper added.

"Then he needs to tell us why he allowed Shen escape." Ti retorted. Po opened his mouth to speak but was silenced. "And your answer better be the truth." I stepped forward and knelt beside him.

"Po, it's alright. Just tell us." I spoke softly while resting my hand on his shoulder. He stared at me for a brief moment before replying.

"He...he was there. Shen was there the last time I saw my...parents. He knows what happened to them, where I came from and...who I am." My eyes widened at this sudden revelation. All this talk between us about his past and we had nothing to go on before arriving here. Not through lack of trying of course, we just decided it would be best if the issue was saved for later so we could focus on the drama in Gongmen. But who would have figured that the very man we came to stop was...connected with Po's parents and his past? I suppose it explains why Shen got away. Po must have been so...shocked to discover such a truth that he drew a blank and couldn't even react to him escaping.

"Po...I...I'm sorry, that must have been quite a shock to find out." I said. The others soon gathered around Po to console him.

"Damn, buddy, I don't even...know what to say." Mantis spoke up.

"Something tells me this has been on your mind for a while. I'm I right?" Viper asked. Po nodded. "Oh, Po, why didn't you tell us?" Viper wrapped her tail around his arm to provide comfort.

"I wanted to keep it to myself because even I didn't fully understand about the whole thing. I didn't even have anything to go on...until now. We...I-I gotta find Shen. I need answers." Po broke away from us and tried to leave only to be stopped by Tigress who blocked his way.

"You're not leaving." She spoke, very seriously mind you.

"What? Why not?" Po asked.

"Po, if it's true that Shen is somehow connected to your past, then there's chance you will get distracted again and we cannot afford to fail again." She replied.

"What?! No-no, I-I'll stay focused, I swear!"

"Ti, do you really think that's a good call?" I asked.

"Can you deny that he will be distracted or lose focus with his mind so clouded?" She replied with a question of her own. I wanted to say no but...this is the second time Po had become distracted with all this. First at the Musicians Village and then at the tower. It pained me to admit it but...Ti was right. I sighed before turning to Po.

"Po...I'm sorry but she's right."

"Ben...no. I-I won't get distracted, I promise, I-I just...please, I need to know what he knows about me. I need to know where I'm from. I need to know...who I am...please..." He pleaded. To hear the desperation in his voice was painful to hear. Truly it was. This was for his own safety but I just felt... ashamed to be doing this to him. Maybe I can make him understand. As I was about to console him, Ti stepped forward and placed her paws on his shoulders.

"Po, look at me." Ti spoke, but more softly this time. Po lifted his eyes to meet Ti's. "I understand that you want answers, believe me I do. This decision is not being made to keep those answers from you, it's to protect you. You may think you'll fight with a clear mind but it will become clouded when your need for answers overwhelms you. When that happens, you'll become vulnerable and you're life will be at risk. And...we cannot lose you. You're too important to us. So please do as I ask and stay." All eyes watched in silence as Po soaked in all of Ti's words. After a moment had passed, Po sighed in defeat.

"Ok..." He whispered. I had expected for us to leave after resolving this issue but instead, something surprising happened. Ti...hugged Po. She really did. Some of you must be wondering how that's surprising when's she's hugged me so many times. Well, this is the first time she's ever hugged another person. I was shocked to say the least. But If you think I'm shocked, you couldn't even imagine the expressions on the others faces. Especially Po!

"Thank you, Po. Stay here and be safe." Ti said before breaking away from the hug. "We've had enough time to catch our breath. Lets move." She ordered as she took lead once again.

"I'm I gonna get a hug from you anytime soon?" Mantis asked jokingly before leaping onto my shoulder.

"Not in this lifetime." Tigress replied causing me to smile. A smile that faded as I gazed over my shoulder and towards Po who remained on the spot with a dejected expression. When the happiest guy you've ever known looks like that and you feel like you caused it, the amount of guilt you feel may as well kill you. I sighed and returned my sights ahead of me just before the lot of us left the building. Once we were outside, we gathered together to discuss our next move.

"Well that was...a little upsetting to witness." Crane said.

"I'm sorry such a decision was made but...it was for the best. I hope none of you hold ill feelings towards me for making such a decision." Ti spoke with frown, showing that she clearly had some remorse for her decision.

"Of course we don't. As difficult as it was to make that choice...it was for Po's protection." Viper spoke solemnly.

"Yeah, so don't go beating yourself up over it." Monkey added. Ti smiled.

"Thank you for understanding."

"So usually after surviving a situation like that I'd like a drink to celebrate my survival. But that's not gonna just yet, is it?" Mantis asked.

"Not yet, we still got a madman to apprehend and a city to save. Speaking of which, what exactly is our next move? Do we even have a plan?" I asked.

"Shen fired at us from a building that was near the harbour. I believe I know which one too. So that's where we head to." Ti replied.

"Alright, lets get to it." I said. Exercising cautious once again, the six of us crept through the streets while keeping our eyes peeled for guards. But on the entire way towards the harbour, we, oddly enough, didn't cross a single guard. Or anyone else for that matter. The streets were completely deserted. It was eerie to say the least but it certainly worked to our advantage because it allows us to move through the streets more quickly. After scurrying through the city streets for some time, we had finally arrived to the building which Shen now resided in and it just happened to be close by the dock we arrived on. The building was surrounded by a makeshift fortification that had sentinels posted all around it. We snuck up to the nearest wall and hopped over it and past the sentinels. Once we were over it, we all took cover behind a mountain of boxes and other assortments that provided us with both cover and a clear view of the building. I mostly just saw red lights emanating from the building. Literally, the entire buildings lighting was nothing but rays of red light. What could be causing it? I noticed the air inside seemed a little condensed, probably caused by something releasing fumes. And I believe I knew exactly what was causing it.

"What the heck are they doing in there?" Mantis asked as he watched some wolves barking orders at one another. A couple of seconds later, a cannon came into view and we watched it being transported further into the building.

"How many of those things do they have?" Crane asked.

"It's impossible to tell from here. I noticed the air in there seems a little cloudy. If I were to guess, I'd say it's being caused by some sort of smelter." I replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Viper questioned.

"It just seems to make sense with lighting and everything. Not only that, but we saw one cannon in there plus the other few that fired at us, so they must have a smelter in there that they're using to create more."

"If that's the case, the entire building could be packed with them!" Crane noted.

"And we know what kind disaster will follow if these weapons leave the building." I added.

"Then we must bring the building down." Tigress said.

"I agree. We just need something to get the job done. Mmmm..." I pondered for a moment before discovering something. "Wait a second." I took note of the keg I was hiding behind and noticed there was some kind of powder scattered on the top. I grab a little sample and brought it into the light to examine it. My eyes widened at what I discovered.

Gunpowder.

Looks like I just found the source for their cannons power.

"Guys, I believe I found our solution."

"Is that gunpowder?" Monkey asked.

"It certainly seems like it. Shen must have extracted the ingredient from fireworks and used it to make his weapons function." Ti noted.

"And we're gonna destroy his weapons with the very ingredient. Poetic irony; I love it." I spoke with a grin.

"Alright, lets get to work." Ti ordered as she and the rest of us grabbed a keg each and began to work out a plan. Luckily, it didn't take long because of nearby resources that we began using to our advantage. We piled a dozen kegs onto a cart and set it up so it was facing the factory.

"Okay, everyone ready?" I asked. Each one of them gave a nod before I flattened my tongue and gave a short but loud whistle towards Viper who was hanging on a lamppost up ahead. Why you ask? You'll soon find out. She gave a short salute in response. "Alright, lets do this!" I exclaimed. Ti grabbed a hold of the cart and began wheeling it towards the factory. With her strength on our side, it began moving quickly in no time. As we neared the factory, Viper grabbed the lantern that hung on the post and lowered it enough for Monkey to grab. Right before we busted through the entrance to the factory, Monkey took his cue to smash the lantern down onto the kegs which lit them up and primed them to blow. Seconds later, we burst through the massive doors causing the kegs to spilled out and scatter across the ground inside. The noise, obviously, caught the attention of the guards inside. They're eyes darted back and forth between the kegs and us while they seemed clueless as to what to do.

"Happy birthday, bitches!" Mantis exclaimed.

"Hope you like your presents, we picked them from the bottom of our hearts!" Monkey added.

"Good job, guys. Now let's get the here." I said. Just as we were about to get the hell out of there, we were all stopped dead in our tracks by all too familiar yell emanating from within.

"PO!" We all exclaimed in unison. We rushed back into the factory and searched for the panda. All eyes were set on smelting equipment that was above us and who should happen to be dangling on it? Po.

"What is he doing here?!" Ti asked aloud.

"I have no idea but..." I paused as my eyes drifted towards the lit kegs. "Oh shit, the kegs!" I yelled.

"Quickly, extinguish them!" Ti ordered. We ran into the building while fending off guards to try and reach the kegs. I began swatting the kegs in order to try and put it out while trying to keep Shen's lackeys off my back. After all the kegs no longer posed any danger as well as the guards that surrounded us, we began to move into the building to help Po. I kept a tab on Po and where he was as we made our way through the factory while also fighting guards that were in our way. So far they came in twos or threes but up ahead, a large clump of them awaited.

"You two keep moving, we got these guys." Mantis assured. Taking our cue, Ti and I hopped over the group of guards and continued on without the others. We didn't get far however due to a certain obstruction. And by obstruction, I mean a massive gorilla that roared as he pounded his chest. Ti snarled back.

"Go. Help Po while I'll keep him busy." She said.

"Kick his ass, baby." I said before continuing on by myself. I stopped up ahead and searched for Po. The search didn't take very long because I could hear his voice from above. But Po's voice wasn't the only one I heard. To be more specific, it was Shen's voice. Damn it, Po, you're gonna get yourself killed. I began climbing and trying to reach to pair but I was taken by surprise as I was yanked to the ground by something. I quickly rolled onto my back to find out who dragged me back down. Standing over me was the goddamn wolf boss. This guy just doesn't quit, does he?

"You're not gonna get away this time!" He growled as he unsheathed his weapon and raised it above his head.

"Wrong again." I corrected before kicking straight in the balls. His eyes widened before he released a high pitched scream. He fell to his knees while clenching his crotch in pain. Oh man, I felt that one. Well, back to business. I proceeded to climb up towards Po once again, this time without any disturbances. As I drew closer to him, the words being exchanged between him and Shen became more clear.

"...I want the truth!" I heard Po shout. I noticed he had a wok in his grasp for some reason which he just now let drop to the ground. To the right I saw Shen pinned against something by the neck. He removed what appeared to be a tuning fork from his neck and freed himself.

"Po, get away from him; now!" I yelled, but my words were gone unnoticed. I growled and pushed myself twice as hard to try and reach Po.

"Do you believe knowing the truth will fill some crater in your heart? Then here's your answer You were their little mistake. They never loved you. They...despised you." Shen spoke, dripping with a malicious tone. The lying bastard!

"Don't listen to him Po!" I shouted while climbing a rope that lead right to Po.

"You seem wounded, here, let me...heal you!" Shen exclaimed before unveiling the object he was pinned against a moment ago. i gasped to discover it was a cannon!

"Po!" I yelled with my heart skipping a beat. After pushing myself hard enough, I had finally reached Po, who stood stone cold on the spot as Shen had just lit the fuse on his cannon. I reacted quickly by grabbing the wok and shielding Po and myself behind it as the cannon fired directly at us. As the cannon ball soared towards us, the final word I heard before impact came from Tigress who ran towards me frantically.

"NOOOO!" She yelled. But she was too late. I felt the air in my lungs being knocked out as the cannon ball struck the wok sending me flying into Po, who in turn, sent us flying out the window behind us. My mind felt blank after enduring that impact and I couldn't even react to soaring through the air and towards—


End file.
